Vayu Purana

अद्रोहश्चाप्यलोभश्च दमो भूतदया तपः। ब्रह्मचर्यं तथा सत्यमनुक्रोशः क्षमा धृतिः। सनातनस्य धर्मस्य मूलमेतद्दुरासदम् ।। ५७.

Absence of malice, absence of greed, self-control, compassion for beings, austerity, celibacy, truthfulness, kindness, forgiveness, and steadfastness—these are the difficult-to-attain roots of the eternal law.

धर्ममन्त्रात्मको यज्ञस्तपश्चानशनात्मकम्। यज्ञेन देवानाप्नोति वैराग्यं तपसा पुनः ।। ५७.

Sacrifice is characterized by the essence of sacred formulas, and austerity by fasting; by sacrifice one attains the gods, and by austerity, dispassion.

ब्राह्मण्यं कर्मसंन्यासाद्वैराग्यात् प्रेक्षते लयम्। ज्ञानात् प्राप्नोति कैवल्यं पञ्चैता गतयः स्मृताः ।। ५७.

Brahminhood is achieved by renunciation of actions; by dispassion, one perceives dissolution; by knowledge, one attains liberation—these five paths are remembered.

एवं विवादः सुमहान् यज्ञस्यासीत् प्रवर्त्तने। ऋषीणां देवतानाञ्च पूर्वं स्वायम्भुवेऽन्तरे ।। ५७.

Thus, a great dispute arose regarding the practice of sacrifice among the sages and gods, in the interval of the Svāyambhuva era.

ततस्ते ऋषयो दृष्ट्वाद्भुतं वर्त्म बलेन तु। वसोर्वाक्यमनादृत्य जग्मुस्ते वै यथागताः ।। ५७.

Then those sages, seeing the wondrous path by force, disregarded the words of Vasu and departed as they had come.

गतेषु देवसङ्घेषु देवा यज्ञमवाप्नुयुः। श्रूयन्ते हि तपःसिद्धा ब्रह्मक्षत्रमया नृपाः ।। ५७.

When the assembly of gods had departed, the gods obtained the sacrifice; indeed, ascetic kings composed of Brahmins and Kshatriyas are heard of.

प्रियव्रतोत्तानपादौ ध्रुवो मेधातिथिर्वसुः। सुमेधा विरजाश्चैव शङ्खपाद्रज एव च। प्राचीनबर्हिः पर्जन्यो हविर्द्धानादयो नृपाः ।। ५७.

Priyavrata, Uttānapāda, Dhruva, Medhātithi, Vasu, Sumedhā, Virajā, Śaṅkhapādraja, Prācīnabarhi, Parjanya, Havirdhāna, and other kings.

एते चान्ये च बहवो नृपाः सिद्धा दिवं गताः। राजर्षयो महासत्त्वा येषां कीर्त्तिः प्रतिष्ठिता ।। ५७.

These and many other kings, accomplished ones, have gone to heaven—royal sages of great strength whose fame is established.

तस्माद्विशिष्यते यज्ञात्तपः सर्वेषु कारणैः। ब्रह्मणा तपसा सृष्ट जगद्विश्वमिदं पुरा ।। ५७.

Therefore, austerity surpasses sacrifice in all respects; formerly, the creator produced this entire world through austerity.

तस्मान्नात्येति तद्यज्ञं तपोमूलमिदं स्मृतम्। यज्ञप्रवर्त्तनं ह्येवमतः स्वायम्भुवेऽन्तरे। ततःप्रभृति यज्ञोऽयं युगैः सह व्यवर्त्तत ।। ५७.

Therefore, sacrifice does not surpass that; this is remembered as rooted in austerity. Thus, in the Svāyambhuva interval, the initiation of sacrifice occurred; from then on, sacrifice proceeded along with the ages.

अत ऊर्द्ध्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि द्वापरस्य विधिं पुनः। तत्र त्रेतायुगे क्षीणे द्वापरं प्रतिपद्यते ।। ५८.

Now I shall again describe the rule of the Dvāpara age; when the Tretā age declines, the Dvāpara is entered.

द्वापरादौ प्रजानान्तु सिद्धिस्त्रतायुगे तु या। परिवृत्ते युगे तस्मिंस्ततः सा संप्रणश्यति ।। ५८.

At the beginning of Dvāpara, the success among people that existed in the Tretā age disappears when that age passes.

ततः प्रवर्त्तते तासां प्रजानां द्वापरे पुनः। लोभोऽधृतिर्वणिग्युद्धं तत्त्वानामविनिश्चयः ।। ५८.

Then, in Dvāpara, among those people, greed, lack of fortitude, trade, war, and uncertainty regarding principles arise again.

तम्भेदश्चैव वर्णानां कार्याणाञ्चा विनिर्णयः। यज्ञौषधेः पशोर्दण्डो मदो दम्भोऽक्षमा बलम्। एषां रजस्तमोयुक्ता प्रवृत्तिर्द्वापरे स्मृता ।। ५८.

The distinctions among castes and the determination of their duties, the punishment for sacrificial transgressions, intoxication, hypocrisy, gambling, and strength—these activities, associated with passion and darkness, are said to arise in the Dvapara age.

आद्ये कृते च धर्मोऽस्ति त्रेतायां सम्प्रपद्यते। द्वापरे व्याकुलीभूत्वा प्रणश्यति कलौ युगे ।। ५८.

In the first age, the Krita, righteousness exists; in Treta, it is attained; in Dvapara, it becomes confused; and in the Kali age, it is destroyed.

वर्णानां विपरिध्वंसः संकीर्त्त्यते तथाश्रमः। द्वैधमुत्पद्यते चैव युगे तस्मिन् श्रुतौ स्मृतौ ।। ५८.

The complete destruction of castes is described, and likewise of the stages of life; in that age, division arises even in the revealed and remembered scriptures.

द्वैधात् श्रुतेः स्मृतेश्चैव निश्चयो नाधिगम्यते। अनिश्चयादिगमनाद्धर्मतत्त्वं निगद्यते। धर्मतत्त्वे तु भिन्नानां मतिभेदो भवेन्नृणाम् ।। ५८.

Because of the division in the Vedas and Smritis, certainty is not attained; due to the absence of certainty, the true nature of righteousness is declared to be unknown; and in the understanding of righteousness, differences of opinion arise among people.

परस्परविभिन्नैस्तैर्दृष्टीनां विभ्रमेण च। अयं धर्मो ह्ययं नेति निश्चयो नाभिगम्यते ।। ५८.

Because of the mutual contradictions and confusion of their views, certainty about what is or is not righteousness cannot be reached.

कारणानाञ्च वकैल्यात् कारणस्याप्यनिश्चयात्। मतिभेदे च तेषां वै दृष्टीनां विभ्रमो भवेत् ।। ५८.

Because of the imperfection of causes and the uncertainty of reasoning, and because of differences in their understanding, confusion arises in their views.

ततो दृष्टिविभिन्नैस्तैः कृतं शास्त्रकुलन्त्विदम्। एको वेदश्वतुष्पादस्त्रेतास्विह विधीयते ।। ५८.

Therefore, by those with differing views, this multitude of scriptures has been composed; though originally there was one Veda with four branches, in the Treta age it was divided here.

संरोधादायुषश्चैव दृश्यते द्वापरेषु च । वेदव्यासैश्चतुर्धा तु व्यस्यते द्वापरादिषु ।। ५८.

Because of the shortening of lifespan, this is seen in the Dvapara ages; and by Vyasa, the Veda is divided into four parts beginning with Dvapara.

ऋषिपुत्रैः पुनर्वेदा भिद्यन्ते दृष्टिविभ्रमैः। मन्त्रब्राह्मणविन्यासैः स्वरवर्णविपर्ययैः ।। ५८.

By the sons of the sages, the Vedas are again divided due to confusion of views, with differences in arrangement of mantras and Brahmanas, and in accent and letters.

संहिता ऋग्यजुःसाम्नां संहन्यन्ते श्रुतर्षिभिः। सामान्याद्वैकृताच्चैव दृष्टिभिन्नैः व्कचित्व्कचित् ।। ५८.

The collections of the Rig, Yajur, and Sama Vedas are compiled by the learned seers; because of general and particular variations, and due to differing views, they are sometimes altered.

ब्राह्मणं कल्पसूत्राणि मन्त्रप्रवचनानि च। अन्ये तु प्रहितास्तीर्थैः केचित्तान् प्रत्यवस्थिताः ।। ५८.

The Brahmana, Kalpa Sutras, and explanations of mantras—some are established by the learned, while others are maintained by certain teachers.

द्वापरेषु प्रवर्त्तन्ते भिन्नवृत्ताश्रमा द्विजाः। एकमाध्वर्यवं पूर्वमासीद्द्वैधं पुनस्ततः ।। ५८.

In the Dvapara ages, twice-born men practice different customs and stages of life; formerly, there was one Adhvaryu tradition, but afterwards it became twofold.

सामान्यविपरीतार्थैः कृतं शास्त्रकुलन्त्विदम्। आध्वर्यवस्य प्रस्तावैर्बहुधा व्याकुलं कृतम् ।। ५८.

Because of general and contrary meanings, this multitude of scriptures has been created; by the various expositions of the Adhvaryus, it has been made manifold and confused.

तथैवाथर्वऋक्साम्नां विकल्पैश्चाप्यसंक्षयैः। व्याकुलं द्वापरे भिन्ने क्रियते भिन्नदर्शनैः ।। ५८.

Likewise, the Atharva, Rig, and Sama Vedas, through endless variations and divisions, become confused in the Dvapara age due to differing doctrines.

तैषां भेदाः प्रभेदाश्च विकल्पैश्चाप्यसंक्षयाः । द्वापरे सम्प्रवर्तन्ते विनश्यन्ति पुनः कलौ ।। ५८.

Their divisions and subdivisions, and endless variations, arise in the Dvapara age, but again perish in the Kali age.

तेषां विपर्ययाश्चैव भवन्ति द्वापरे पुनः। अवृष्टिर्मरणञ्चैव तथैव व्याध्युपद्ववाः ।। ५८.

Their reversals also occur again in the Dvapara age: drought, death, and likewise diseases and calamities.