आद्यं कृतयुगं विद्धिततस्त्रेतायुगं स्मृतम् ४०.
Know that the first is called the Kṛta Yuga, and after that is remembered the Tretā Yuga.
सत्त्वं कृतं रजस्त्रेता द्वापरं च रजस्तमः ४०.
Kṛta is of the quality of sattva; Tretā is rajas; Dvāpara is both rajas and tamas.
ध्यानं परं कृतयुगे त्रेतायां यज्ञ उच्यते ४०.
In the Kṛta Yuga, supreme meditation prevailed; in Tretā, sacrifice is said to be foremost.
कृते तु मानसी सृष्टिर्वृत्तिः साक्षाद्रसोल्लसा ४०.
Indeed, in Kṛta, creation was mental, and conduct was directly radiant with essence.
अधमोत्तमो न तासां ता निर्विशेषाः प्रजाः शुभाः ४०.
Among them there was neither lowest nor highest; those auspicious beings were without distinction.
न चाप्रीतिर्न च द्वंद्वो न द्वेषो नापि च क्लमः ४०.
There was no displeasure, no duality, no hatred, nor any fatigue.
वर्णाश्रमव्यवस्था च तदासीन्न हि संकरः ४०.
The system of varṇa and āśrama existed then; indeed, there was no confusion.
चतुर्थे च ततः पादे नष्ट साऽभूद्रसोल्लसा ४०.
But in the fourth part thereafter, that radiance of essence was lost.
वस्त्राणि च प्रसूयंते फलान्याभरणानि च ४०.
Clothes, fruits, and ornaments were produced naturally.
सुमाक्षिकं महावीर्यं पुटके पुटके मधु ४०.
Honey, pure and of great potency, was found in every hollow.
हृष्टपुष्टास्तथा वृद्धाः प्रजा वै विगतज्वराः ४०.
The people were joyful, nourished, long-lived, and free from disease.
युगभावात्तथा ध्याने स्वल्पीभूते शिवस्य च ४०.
Due to the change of the age, meditation and the worship of Śiva became diminished.
तासां तेनोपचारेण लोभदोषकृतेन वै ४०.
Because of that, through such conduct, and due to the fault of greed,
तस्यां चाप्यल्पशिष्टायां द्वंद्वान्यभ्युत्थितानि वै ४०.
And when only a little of that remained, dualities indeed arose.
चक्रुरावरणार्थं हि केतनानि ततस्ततः ४०.
Then, for the sake of covering themselves, they made shelters here and there.
वृष्ट्या बभूवुरौषध्यो ग्राम्यारण्याश्चतुर्दश ४०.
With the rain, fourteen kinds of cultivated and wild plants came into being.
ऋतु पुष्पफलैश्चैव वृक्षगुल्माश्च जज्ञिरे ४०.
Then, trees and shrubs came into being, bearing flowers and fruits according to the seasons.
ततः पुनरभूत्तासां रागो लोभश्च सर्वतः ४०.
After that, desire and greed arose everywhere among them.
वृक्षगुल्मौषधीश्चैव प्रसह्याशु यथाबलम् ४०.
Trees, shrubs, and herbs were forcefully seized according to each one's strength.
नत्वा धरां प्रविष्टास्ता ओषध्यः पीडिताः प्रजाः ४०.
Oppressed, those herbs bowed to the earth and entered within, afflicted by the people.
तदा प्रभृति चौषध्यः फालकृष्टाः प्रजास्ततः ४०.
From that time onward, herbs are drawn forth by the plough from the earth by the people.
वर्णाश्रमप्रतिष्ठा च यज्ञस्त्रेतासु चोच्यते ४०.
The establishment of the social orders and stages of life, and the performance of sacrifice in the Treta age, are declared.
पुष्पितां वाचमाश्रित्य रागात्स्वर्गमसाधयन् ४०.
Relying on flowery speech, out of desire, they sought to attain heaven.
मनसा कर्मणा वाचा कृच्छ्राद्वार्ता प्रसिध्यति ४०.
Livelihood is accomplished with difficulty—by mind, by action, or by speech.
वर्णाश्रमपरिध्वंसाः प्रवर्तंते च द्वापरे ४०.
The destruction of the social orders and stages of life begins in the Dvapara age.
एको वेदश्चतुष्पादैः क्रियते द्विजहेतवे ४०.
One Veda, with four divisions, is practiced for the sake of the twice-born.
ब्राह्मं पाद्मं वैष्णवं च शैवं भागवतं तथा ४०.
The Brahma, Padma, Vaishnava, Shaiva, and also the Bhagavata Puranas—
आग्नेयमष्टमं प्रोक्तं भविष्यं नवमं स्मृतम् ४०.
The Agneya is said to be the eighth, and the Bhavishya is remembered as the ninth.
वाराहं द्वादशं चैव स्कांदं चैव त्रयोदशम् ४०.
The Varaha is the twelfth, and the Skanda is the thirteenth.
मात्स्यं षोडशकं प्रोक्तं गारुडं च ततः परम् ४०.
The Matsya is said to be the sixteenth, and after that, the Garuda.