Linga Purana

वार्तां कृषिं समायाता वर्तुकामाः प्रयत्नतः वार्ता वृत्तिः समाख्याता कृषिकामप्रयत्नतः

Desiring sustenance, people diligently engaged in agriculture; this pursuit is called livelihood, and agriculture is known as the means of subsistence.

अन्यथा जीवितं तासां नास्ति त्रेतायुगात्यये हस्तोद्भवा ह्यपश्चैव भवन्ति बहुशस्तदा

Otherwise, at the end of the Tretā age, those plants would not survive; then, many water-born and hand-grown ones arise.

तत्रापि जगृहुः सर्वे चान्योन्यं क्रोधमूर्छिताः सुतदारधनाद्यांस्तु बलाद्युगबलेन तु

There, too, all seized one another, overwhelmed by anger, taking sons, wives, and wealth by force, according to the power of the age.

मर्यादायाः प्रतिष्ठार्थं ज्ञात्वा तदखिलं विभुः ससर्ज क्षत्रियांस्त्रातुं क्षतात्कमलसंभवः

For the establishment of boundaries, knowing all this, the Lord, born from the lotus, created the Kṣatriyas to protect from harm.

वर्णाश्रमप्रतिष्ठां च चकार स्वेन तेजसा वृत्तेन वृत्तिना वृत्तं विश्वात्मा निर्ममे स्वयम्

He established the order of varṇa and āśrama by his own power; by conduct and livelihood, the universal self himself fashioned the order.

यज्ञप्रवर्तनं चैव त्रेतायामभवत्क्रमात् पशुयज्ञं न सेवन्ते केचित्तत्रापि सुव्रताः

The initiation of sacrifice also occurred gradually in the Tretā age; some virtuous ones there did not practice animal sacrifice.

बलाद्विष्णुस्तदा यज्ञम् अकरोत्सर्वदृक् क्रमात् द्विजास्तदा प्रशंसन्ति ततस्त्वाहिंसकं मुने

Then, Viṣṇu, all-seeing, performed sacrifice by force; the twice-born praised it, and thereafter, O sage, it was non-violent.

द्वापरेष्वपि वर्तन्ते मतिभेदास्तदा नृणाम् मनसा कर्मणा वाचा कृच्छ्राद्वार्ता प्रसिध्यति

Even in the Dvāpara age, differences of opinion arose among people; by mind, action, and speech, livelihood was attained with difficulty.

तदा तु सर्वभूतानां कायक्लेशवशात्क्रमात् लोभो भृतिर्वणिग्युद्धं तत्त्वानामविनिश्चयः

Then, due to bodily hardship among all beings, gradually arose greed, wages, trade, war, and uncertainty regarding truths.

वेदशाखाप्रणयनं धर्माणां संकरस् तथा वर्णाश्रमपरिध्वंसः कामद्वेषौ तथैव च

The propagation of Vedic branches, the confusion of dharmas, the destruction of varṇa and āśrama, and desire and hatred likewise occurred.

द्वापरे तु प्रवर्तन्ते रागो लोभो मदस् तथा वेदो व्यासैश्चतुर्धा तु व्यस्यते द्वापरादिषु

In the Dvāpara age, passion, greed, and intoxication prevailed; the Veda was divided into four parts by Vyāsa in the Dvāpara and subsequent ages.

एको वेदश्चतुष्पादस् त्रेतास्विह विधीयते संक्षयादायुषश्चैव व्यस्यते द्वापरेषु सः

In the Tretā age, the one Veda is established with four divisions; due to the decline of lifespan, it is further divided in the Dvāpara age.

ऋषिपुत्रैः पुनर्भेदा भिद्यन्ते दृष्टिविभ्रमैः मन्त्रब्राह्मणविन्यासैः स्वरवर्णविपर्ययैः

Again, through the sons of the seers, divisions arise due to differences in perception, in the arrangement of mantras and Brāhmaṇas, and in the variations of tones and letters.

संहिता ऋग्यजुःसाम्नां संहन्यन्ते मनीषिभिः सामान्या वैकृताश्चैव द्रष्टृभिस्तैः पृथक्पृथक्

The collections of Ṛk, Yajus, and Sāman are compiled by the wise; both general and altered versions are separately established by their respective seers.

ब्राह्मणं कल्पसूत्राणि मन्त्रप्रवचनानि च अन्ये तु प्रस्थितास्तान्वै केचित्तान्प्रत्यवस्थिताः

Brāhmaṇas, Kalpasūtras, and expositions on mantras—some proceed with these, while others remain with the earlier ones.

इतिहासपुराणानि भिद्यन्ते कालगौरवात् ब्राह्मं पाद्मं वैष्णवं च शैवं भागवतं तथा

The Itihāsas and Purāṇas are divided due to the weight of time: Brāhma, Pādma, Vaiṣṇava, Śaiva, and Bhāgavata as well.

भविष्यं नारदीयं च मार्कण्डेयमतः परम् आग्नेयं ब्रह्मवैवर्तं लैङ्गं वाराहमेव च

Bhaviṣya, Nārada, Mārkaṇḍeya, then Āgneya, Brahmavaivarta, Laiṅga, and Vārāha also.

वामनाख्यं ततः कूर्मं मात्स्यं गारुडमेव च स्कान्दं तथा च ब्रह्माण्डं तेषां भेदः प्रकथ्यते

Then Vāmana, Kūrma, Mātsya, Gāruḍa, Skānda, and Brahmāṇḍa—thus their divisions are recounted.

लैङ्गम् एकादशविधं प्रभिन्नं द्वापरे शुभम् मन्वत्रिविष्णुहारीतयाज्ञवल्क्योशनो ऽङ्गिराः

The Laiṅga Purāṇa is divided into eleven forms in the auspicious Dvāpara age: Manu, Tri, Viṣṇu, Hārīta, Yājñavalkya, Uśanas, and Aṅgiras.

यमापस्तम्बसंवर्ताः कात्यायनबृहस्पती पराशरव्यासशङ्खलिखिता दक्षगौतमौ

Yama, Āpastamba, Saṃvarta, Kātyāyana, Bṛhaspati, Parāśara, Vyāsa, Śaṅkha, Likhita, Dakṣa, and Gautama.

शातातपो वसिष्ठश् च एवमाद्यैः सहस्रशः अवृष्टिर्मरणं चैव तथा व्याध्याद्युपद्रवाः

Śātātapa and Vasiṣṭha—thus, with others by the thousands; drought, death, and likewise diseases and other afflictions arise.

वाङ्मनःकर्मजैर् दुःखैर् निर्वेदो जायते ततः निर्वेदाज्जायते तेषां दुःखमोक्षविचारणा

From sufferings caused by speech, mind, and actions, disillusionment arises; from disillusionment comes inquiry into liberation from suffering.

विचारणाच्च वैराग्यं वैराग्याद्दोषदर्शनम् दोषाणां दर्शनाच्चैव द्वापरे ज्ञानसंभवः

From inquiry arises detachment; from detachment, the perception of faults; and from perceiving faults, knowledge arises in the Dvāpara age.

एषा रजस्तमोयुक्ता वृत्तिर् वै द्वापरे स्मृता आद्ये कृते तु धर्मो ऽस्ति स त्रेतायां प्रवर्तते

This conduct, characterized by passion and darkness, is known in the Dvāpara age; in the first, Kṛta, righteousness exists, and in Tretā it prevails.

द्वापरे व्याकुलीभूत्वा प्रणश्यति कलौ युगे

In Dvāpara, righteousness becomes disturbed, and in the Kali age it is destroyed.

तिष्ये मायामसूयां च वधं चैव तपस्विनाम् साधयन्ति नरास्तत्र तमसा व्याकुलेन्द्रियाः

In Tiṣya and Māyāmasū, and in the killing of ascetics, men there, with senses disturbed by darkness, accomplish such acts.

कलौ प्रमादको रोगः सततं क्षुद्भयानि च अनावृष्टिभयं घोरं देशानां च विपर्ययः

In Kali, heedlessness, disease, constant hunger and fear, dreadful fear of drought, and the disorder of lands prevail.

न प्रामाण्यं श्रुतेरस्ति नृणां चाधर्मसेवनम् अधार्मिकास्त्वनाचारा महाकोपाल्पचेतसः

There is no authority of scripture among men, and unrighteous conduct prevails; the unrighteous are unrestrained, greatly angry, and of little understanding.

अनृतं ब्रुवते लुब्धास् तिष्ये जाताश् च दुष्प्रजाः दुरिष्टैर्दुरधीतैश् च दुराचारैर्दुरागमैः

The greedy speak falsehood; in Tiṣya, wicked offspring are born, with evil deeds, poor learning, bad conduct, and improper approaches.