Vayu Purana

त्रीणि पर्षशतान्येव षष्टिवर्षाणि यानि च। दिव्यः संवत्सरो ह्येष मानुषेण प्रकीर्त्तितः ।। ५७.

Three hundred and sixty, and sixty more years—these are said to make a divine year, as reckoned by human calculation.

त्रीणि वर्षसहस्राणि मानुषेण प्रमाणतः। त्रिंशद्यानि तु वर्षाणि मतः सप्तर्षिवत्सरः ।। ५७.

Three thousand human years, by measure, and thirty years—this is known as the year of the Seven Sages.

नव यानि सहस्राणि वर्षाणां मानुषाणि तु । अन्यानि नवतिश्चैव क्रौञ्चः संवत्सरः स्मृतः ।। ५७.

Nine thousand human years, and ninety more—this is said to be the year of Krauñca.

षट्‌त्रिंशत्तु सहस्राणि वर्षाणां मानुषाणि तु । वर्षाणान्तु शतं ज्ञेयं दिव्यो ह्येष विधिः स्मृतः ।। ५७.

Thirty-six thousand human years, and a hundred years should be known—this is declared as the divine reckoning.

त्रीण्येव नियुतान्येव वर्षाणां मानुषाणि च। षष्टिश्चैव सहस्राणि सङ्ख्यातानि तु सङ्ख्यया। दिव्यवर्षसहस्रन्तु प्राहुः सङ्ख्याविदो जनाः ।। ५७.

Three hundred thousand human years, and sixty thousand more, counted by enumeration—those who know numbers declare this to be a thousand divine years.

इत्येवमृषिभिर्गीतं दिव्यया सङ्ख्ययान्वितम्। दिव्येनैव प्रमाणेन युगसङ्कचाप्रकल्पनम् ।। ५७.

Thus have the sages sung, accompanied by a divine reckoning, and with a divine measure, the arrangement of the yugas has been described.

चत्वारि भारते वर्षे युगानि कवयो विदुः। पूर्वं कृतयुगं नाम ततस्त्रेता विधीयते। द्वापरश्च कलि श्चैव युगान्येतानि कल्पयेत् ।। ५७.

The poets know four yugas in the land of Bharata: first is called the Kṛta Yuga, then comes the Tretā, next is Dvāpara, and finally Kali; these are the yugas to be reckoned.

चत्वार्याहुः सहस्राणि वर्षाणान्तु कृतं युगम्। तत्र तावच्छती सन्ध्या सन्ध्यांशश्च तथाविधः ।। ५७.

They say the Kṛta Yuga consists of four thousand years; within it, there is a period called Sandhyā of equal hundreds, and likewise a Sandhyāṃśa.

इत रासु च सन्ध्यासु सन्ध्यांशेषु च वै त्रिषु । एकापायेन वर्त्तन्ते सहस्राणि शतानि च ।। ५७.

In these Sandhyās and Sandhyāṃśas, in all three, the thousands and hundreds proceed with a single reduction.

त्रेता त्रीणि सहस्राणि सङ्ख्यैव परिकीर्त्यते। तस्यास्तु त्रिशती सन्ध्या सन्ध्यांशश्च तथाविधः ।। ५७.

The Tretā Yuga is declared, by count, to be three thousand years; for it as well, there are three hundred years of Sandhyā and a Sandhyāṃśa of the same kind.

द्वापरं द्वे सहस्रे तु युगमाहुर्मनीषिणः । तस्यापि द्विशती सन्ध्या सन्धयांशः सन्ध्यया समः ।। ५७.

The wise declare the Dvāpara Yuga to be two thousand years; for it too, there are two hundred years of Sandhyā, and a Sandhyāṃśa equal to the Sandhyā.

कलिं वर्षसहस्रन्तु युगमाहुर्मनीषिणः। तस्याप्येकशती सन्ध्या सन्ध्यया समः ।। ५७.

The wise say the Kali Yuga is a thousand years; for it as well, there is a Sandhyā of one hundred years, equal to the Sandhyāṃśa.

एषा द्वादशसाहस्री युगाख्या परिकीर्त्तिता। कृतं त्रेता द्वापरञ्च कलिश्चैव चतुष्टयम् ।। ५७.

Thus, the cycle of yugas is said to be twelve thousand (years): Kṛta, Tretā, Dvāpara, and Kali, these four together.

अत्र संवत्सराः सृष्टा मानुषेण प्रमाणतः। कृतस्य तावद्वक्ष्यामि वर्षाणां तत्प्रमाणतः ।। ५७.

Here, the years are reckoned according to the human measure; I shall now declare the number of years for the Kṛta Yuga by that measure.

सहस्राणां शतान्यत्र चतुर्दश तु सङ्ख्यया। चत्वारिंशत् सहस्राणि कलिकालयुगस्य तु ।। ५७.

Here, by count, there are fourteen hundred thousands, and forty thousand for the time of the Kali Yuga.

एवं सङ्‌ख्यातकालश्च कालेष्विह विशेषतः। एवं चतुर्युगः कालो विना सन्ध्यांशकैः स्मृतः ।। ५७.

Thus, the measured time is especially reckoned here; so the four-yuga cycle is considered, excluding the Sandhyāṃśas.

चत्वारिंशत्र्त्रीणि चैव नियुतानि च सङ्ख्यया । विंशतिश्च सहस्राणि ससन्ध्यांशश्चतुर्युगः ।। ५७.

By count, there are forty-three niyutas and twenty thousand, with the Sandhyāṃśas, for the four yugas.

एवं चतुर्युगाख्या तु साधिका ह्येकसप्ततिः। कृतत्रेतादियुक्ता सा मनोरन्तरमुच्यते ।। ५७.

Thus, the cycle of four yugas, with the excess, is indeed seventy-one; joined with Kṛta, Tretā, and so on, this is called a Manvantara.

मन्वन्तरस्य सङ्ख्या तु वर्षाग्रेण निबोधत। त्रिंशत्कोट्यस्तु वर्षाणां मानुषेण प्रकीर्तिताः ।। ५७.

Now learn the number of years in a Manvantara: thirty crores of years are declared according to the human reckoning.

सप्तषष्टिस्तथान्यानि नियुतान्यधिकानि तु। विंशतिश्च सहस्राणि कालोऽयं साधिकां विना ।। ५७.

There are also sixty-seven additional niyutas, and twenty thousand; this is the time, excluding the excess.

मन्वन्तरस्य सङ्ख्यैषा सङ्ख्याविद्भिर्द्विजैः स्मृता। मन्वन्तरस्य कालोऽयं युगैः सार्द्धं प्रकीर्तितः ।। ५७.

This is the reckoning of a Manvantara, as remembered by those skilled in numbers among the twice-born; this is the time of a Manvantara, declared together with the yugas.

चतुः सहस्रयुक्तं वै प्रथमन्तत् कृतं युगम्। त्रेतावशिष्टं वक्ष्यामि द्वापरं कलिमेव च ।। ५७.

The first Kṛta Yuga is joined with four thousand; I shall declare the remaining Tretā, Dvāpara, and Kali as well.

युगपत्समवेतार्थो द्विधा वक्तुं न शक्यते। क्रमागतं मया ह्येतत्तुभ्यं प्रोक्तं युगद्वयम्। ऋषिवंशप्रसङ्गेन व्याकुलत्वात्तथैव च ।। ५७.

The meaning of the yugas, taken together at once, cannot be spoken of in two ways; in sequence I have told you of these two yugas, due to the context of the lineage of sages and also because of the complexity.

तत्र त्रेतायुगस्यादौ मनुः सप्तर्षयश्च ते। श्रौतं स्मार्त्तञ्च धर्मञ्च ब्रह्मणा च प्रचोदितम् ।। ५७.

There, at the beginning of the Treta Yuga, Manu and the seven sages, prompted by Brahma, established both the Vedic and the customary law.

दाराग्निहोत्रसंयोगमृग्यजुः सामसंज्ञितम्। इत्यादिलक्षणं श्रौतं धर्मं सप्तर्षयोऽब्रुवन् ।। ५७.

The seven sages declared the Vedic law, characterized by the union of wife and the Agnihotra, and known as Rig, Yajur, and Sama.

परस्परागतं धर्मं स्मार्त्तञ्चाचारलक्षणम्। वर्णाश्रमाचारयुतं मनुः स्वायम्भुवोऽब्रवीत् ।। ५७.

Manu Svayambhuva spoke of the customary law, marked by conduct and mutual observance, accompanied by the practices of the varnas and ashramas.

सत्येन ब्रह्मचर्येण श्रुतेन तपसा च वै। तेषां सुतप्ततपसामार्षेयेण क्रमेण तु ।। ५७.

Through truthfulness, celibacy, study, and austerity, those who had performed intense penance followed the order of the sages.

सप्तर्षीणां मनोश्चैव आद्ये त्रेतायुगस्य तु । अबुद्धिपूर्वकं तेषामक्रियापूर्वमेव च ।। ५७.

For the seven sages and Manu, at the start of the Treta Yuga, it was without prior understanding and without previous action.

अभिव्यक्तास्तु ते मन्त्रास्तारकाद्यैर्निदर्शनैः। आदिकल्पे तु देवानां प्रादुर्भूतास्तु ते स्वयम् ।। ५७.

Those mantras became manifest, indicated by stars and other signs; in the earliest cycle, they appeared spontaneously among the gods.