Linga Purana

स्वान्प्राणान् अनपेक्षन्तो निष्कारुण्याः सुदुःखिताः नष्टे श्रौते स्मार्तधर्मे परस्परहतास्तदा

Indifferent to their own lives, utterly without compassion and deeply miserable, with Vedic and customary law destroyed, they began to kill each other.

निर्मर्यादा निराक्रान्ता निःस्नेहा निरपत्रपाः नष्टे धर्मे प्रतिहताः ह्रस्वकाः पञ्चविंशकाः

Devoid of boundaries, expelled, without affection or shame, with righteousness lost and their strength broken, they became dwarfed and reduced to just twenty-five.

हित्वा पुत्रांश् च दारांश् च विवादव्याकुलेन्द्रियाः अनावृष्टिहताश्चैव वार्तामुत्सृज्य दूरतः

Abandoning sons and wives, their senses disturbed by disputes, struck by drought, they gave up their livelihoods and wandered far away.

प्रत्यन्तानुपसेवन्ते हित्वा जनपदान् स्वकान् सरित्सागरकूपांस्ते सेवन्ते पर्वतांस् तथा

They dwelled in borderlands, leaving their own countries, and sought out rivers, seas, wells, and also mountains.

मधुमांसैर्मूलफलैर् वर्तयन्ति सुदुःखिताः चीरपत्राजिनधरा निष्क्रिया निष्परिग्रहाः

Suffering greatly, they survived on honey, meat, roots, and fruits, wearing bark, leaves, or animal skins, with no rituals and no possessions.

वर्णाश्रमपरिभ्रष्टाः संकटं घोरमास्थिताः एवं कष्टमनुप्राप्ता अल्पशेषाः प्रजास्तदा

Having fallen away from caste and stage of life, they entered terrible hardship; thus, at that time, only a few people remained, enduring great suffering.

जराव्याधिक्षुधाविष्टा दुःखान्निर्वेदमानसाः विचारणा तु निर्वेदात् साम्यावस्था विचारणा

Afflicted by old age, disease, and hunger, their minds overwhelmed by sorrow and despair, from that despair arose reflection, and from reflection, a state of equality.

साम्यावस्थात्मको बोधः संबोधाद्धर्मशीलता अरूपशमयुक्तास्तु कलिशिष्टा हि वै स्वयम्

Awareness characterized by equality arises; from awakening comes righteousness and virtue, and those left at the end of Kali, though without form or restraint, possess this themselves.

अहोरात्रात्तदा तासां युगं तु परिवर्तते चित्तसंमोहनं कृत्वा तासां वै सुप्तमत्तवत्

Then, for them, the age turns over in a single day and night, their minds bewildered as if in sleep or intoxication.

भाविनो ऽर्थस्य च बलात् ततः कृतमवर्तत प्रवृत्ते तु ततस्तस्मिन् पुनः कृतयुगे तु वै

By the force of what is destined to come, the cycle of the Krita age returns; when that begins, once again the Krita Yuga arises.

उत्पन्नाः कलिशिष्टास्तु प्रजाः कार्तयुगास्तदा तिष्ठन्ति चेह ये सिद्धा अदृष्टा विचरन्ति च

Those people who survive Kali are then born in the Krita Yuga; and those perfected beings who remain here move about unseen.

सप्त सप्तर्षिभिश्चैव तत्र ते तु व्यवस्थिताः ब्रह्मक्षत्रविशः शूद्रा बीजार्थं ये स्मृता इह

There, seven groups along with the seven sages are established: Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, who are remembered here for the purpose of seed (procreation).

कलिजैः सह ते सर्वे निर्विशेषास्तदाभवन् तेषां सप्तर्षयो धर्मं कथयन्तीतरे ऽपि च

Together with those born in Kali, all became undifferentiated at that time; among them, the seven sages expound dharma, and others do so as well.

वर्णाश्रमाचारयुतं श्रौतं स्मार्तं द्विधा तु यम् ततस्तेषु क्रियावत्सु वर्धन्ते वै प्रजाः कृते

The practices associated with varna and ashrama, both Vedic and traditional, are twofold; when these rites are performed among them, the people flourish in the Krita age.

श्रौतस्मार्तकृतानां च धर्मे सप्तर्षिदर्शिते केचिद्धर्मव्यवस्थार्थं तिष्ठन्तीह युगक्षये

Of the dharmas performed according to Vedic and traditional rites, as shown by the seven sages, some remain here at the end of the age for the sake of establishing dharma.

मन्वन्तराधिकारेषु तिष्ठन्ति मुनयस्तु वै यथा दावप्रदग्धेषु तृणेष्विह ततः क्षितौ

The sages remain during the periods of the Manus, just as grass persists on earth after being scorched by fire.

वनानां प्रथमं वृष्ट्या तेषां मूलेषु संभवः तथा कार्तयुगानां तु कलिजेष्विह संभवः

As the first rain brings forth new growth at the roots of forests, so too is the origin of Krita ages among those of Kali here.

एवं युगाद्युगस्येह संतानं तु परस्परम् वर्तते ह व्यवच्छेदाद् यावन्मन्वन्तरक्षयः

Thus, the succession of ages proceeds, each following the other, continuing until the end of a Manvantara, without interruption.

सुखमायुर्बलं रूपं धर्मो ऽर्थः काम एव च युगेष्वेतानि हीयन्ते त्रींस्त्रीन् पादान् क्रमेण तु

Happiness, lifespan, strength, beauty, dharma, wealth, and desire diminish in the ages, losing three quarters in each successive age.

ससंध्यांशेषु हीयन्ते युगानां धर्मसिद्धयः इत्येषा प्रतिसिद्धिर्वै कीर्तितैषा क्रमेण तु

The fulfillment of dharma in the ages declines during the portions called sandhya and sandhyamsa; this is the restriction described, occurring in order.

चतुर्युगानां सर्वेषाम् अनेनैव तु साधनम् एषा चतुर्युगावृत्तिर् आ सहस्राद् गुणीकृता

For all four ages, this is the method; this is the cycle of the four ages, multiplied up to a thousand.

ब्रह्मणस्तदहः प्रोक्तं रात्रिश्चैतावती स्मृता अनार्जवं जडीभावो भूतानाम् आ युगक्षयात्

This is said to be the day of Brahma, and the night is remembered as equal in length; from the end of the age arises dullness and lack of integrity among beings.

एतदेव तु सर्वेषां युगानां लक्षणं स्मृतम् एषां चतुर्युगाणां च गुणिता ह्येकसप्ततिः

This is remembered as the characteristic of all the ages; for these four ages, multiplied, the total is seventy-one.

क्रमेण परिवृत्ता तु मनोरन्तरम् उच्यते चतुर्युगे यथैकस्मिन् भवतीह यदा तु यत्

As they revolve in succession, it is called a Manvantara; in each of the four ages, whatever occurs here, happens accordingly.

तथा चान्येषु भवति पुनस्तद्वै यथाक्रमम् सर्गे सर्गे यथा भेदा उत्पद्यन्ते तथैव तु

So too, in the others, it happens again in order; in each creation, as distinctions arise, so it occurs likewise.

पञ्चविंशत्परिमिता न न्यूना नाधिकास् तथा तथा कल्पा युगैः सार्धं भवन्ति सह लक्षणैः

There are twenty-five, neither fewer nor more; thus, Kalpas occur together with ages and their characteristics.

मन्वन्तराणां सर्वेषाम् एतदेव तु लक्षणम्

This is the characteristic of all the Manvantaras.

यथा युगानां परिवर्तनानि चिरप्रवृत्तानि युगस्वभावात् तथा तु संतिष्ठति जीवलोकः क्षयोदयाभ्यां परिवर्तमानः

Just as the changes of ages have long continued, so the world of living beings persists, revolving through decline and rise according to the nature of the ages.

इत्येतल्लक्षणं प्रोक्तं युगानां वै समासतः अतीतानागतानां हि सर्वमन्वन्तरेषु वै

Thus, the characteristics of the ages have been described in summary, for past and future, in all the Manvantaras.