Vayu Purana

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.

वाङ्मनःकर्मजैर्दुःखैर्निर्वेदो जायते पुनः । निर्वेदाज्जायते तेषां दुःखमोक्ष विचारणा ।। ५८.

From sufferings caused by speech, mind, and actions, disillusionment arises again; from disillusionment, the inquiry into liberation from suffering is born among them.

विचाराणाच्च वैराग्यं वैराग्याद्दोपदर्शनम्। दोषाणां दर्शनाच्चैव द्वापरे ज्ञानसम्भवः ।। ५८.

From inquiry comes detachment; from detachment, the perception of faults; and from seeing faults, in the Dvapara age, the arising of knowledge.

तेषाञ्च मानिनां पूर्वमाद्ये स्वायम्भुवेऽन्तरे। उत्पद्यन्ते हि शास्त्राणां द्वापरे परिपन्थिनः ।। ५८.

And among those proud ones, in the earliest Svāyambhuva Manvantara, adversaries of the scriptures arise in the Dvāpara age.

आयुर्वेदविकल्पाश्च अङ्गानां ज्यौतिषस्य च। अर्थशास्त्रविकल्पश्च हेतुशास्त्रविकल्पनम् ।। ५८.

There are divergent branches of Ayurveda, of the limbs of Jyotisha, of Arthaśāstra, and of logic as well.

स्मृतिशास्त्रप्रभेदाश्च प्रस्थानानि पृथक् पृथक्। द्वापरेष्वभिवर्त्तन्ते मतिभेदास्तथा नृणाम् ।। ५८.

There are various divisions of Smriti scriptures, and separate schools arise; in the Dvāpara age, differences of opinion likewise appear among people.

मनसा कर्मणा वाचा कृच्छ्रा द्वार्त्ता प्रसिद्ध्यति। द्वापरे सर्वभूतानां कायक्लेशपुरस्कृता ।। ५८.

By mind, action, and speech, livelihood is attained with difficulty; in Dvāpara, for all beings, toil of the body is foremost.

लोभेऽधृतिर्वणिग्युद्धं तत्त्वानामविनिश्चयः। वेदशास्त्रप्रणयनं धर्माणां सङ्करस्तथा ।। ५८.

Due to greed, instability, trade disputes, and uncertainty regarding principles, new compositions of Vedic scriptures and confusion of duties also occur.

द्वापरेषु प्रवर्त्तन्ते रोगो लोभो वधस्तथा। वर्णाश्रमपरिध्वंसाः कामद्वेषौ तथैव च ।। ५८.

In the Dvāpara ages, disease, greed, and killing arise; the destruction of varṇa and āśrama boundaries, as well as desire and hatred, likewise occur.

पूर्णे वर्षसहस्रे द्वे परमायुस्तुथा नृणाम्। निःशेपे द्वापरे तस्मिन् तस्य सन्ध्या तु पादतः ।। ५८.

When two thousand years are complete, that is the highest lifespan for humans; at the end of Dvāpara, its twilight occurs from one foot.

प्रतिष्ठते गुणैर्हीनो धर्मोऽसौ द्वापरस्य तु । तथैव सन्ध्यापादेन अंशस्तस्यावतिष्ठते ।। ५८.

In Dvāpara, dharma stands diminished in its qualities; likewise, by one foot of the twilight, only a portion of it remains.