Vayu Purana

अप्रग्रहास्ततस्ता वै लोकचेष्टास्तु वृन्दशः। उपहिंसन्ति चान्योन्यं प्रपद्यन्ते परस्परम् ।। ५८.

Then, without restraint, the people acted in groups, harming one another and turning against each other.

अराजके युगवशात् संशये समुपस्थिते। प्रजास्ता वै ततः सर्वाः परस्परभयार्दिताः ।। ५८.

In the absence of a ruler, due to the force of the age, when uncertainty arose, all the people were afflicted by mutual fear.

व्याकुलाश्च परिश्रान्तास्त्यक्त्वा दारान् गृहाणि च। स्वान् प्राणान् समवेक्षन्तो निष्ठां प्राप्ताः सुदुःखिताः ।। ५८.

Distressed and exhausted, abandoning their wives and homes, considering their own lives, they reached their end, greatly afflicted.

नष्टे श्रौते स्मृते धर्मे परस्परहतास्तदा। निर्मर्यादा निराक्रन्दा निःस्नेहा निरपत्रपाः ।। ५८.

When the Vedic ritual, sacred tradition, and righteousness are lost, and mutual conflict prevails, people become without boundaries, without lamentation, without affection, and shameless.

नष्टे वर्पे प्रतिहता ह्रस्वकाः पञ्जविंशकाः। हित्वा दारांश्च पुत्रांश्च विषादव्याकुलेन्द्रियाः ।। ५८.

When beauty is lost, obstructed, and diminished, and people are reduced to only twenty-five, abandoning wives and children, their senses overwhelmed by sorrow.

अनावृष्टिहताश्चैव वार्त्तामुत्सृज्य दुःखिताः। प्रत्यन्तांस्तान्निपेवन्ते हित्वा जनपदान् स्वकान् ।। ५८.

Stricken by drought, giving up their livelihoods in misery, they leave their own lands and settle in border regions, forsaking their communities.

सरितः सागरान् कूपान् सेवन्ते पर्वतांस्तदा। मधुमांसैर्मूलफलैर्वर्त्तयन्ति सुदुःखिताः ।। ५८.

Then, in great distress, they frequent rivers, seas, and wells, and mountains, sustaining themselves with honey, meat, roots, and fruits.

चीरवस्त्राजिनधरा निष्पत्रा निष्परिग्रहाः। वर्णाश्रमपरिभ्रष्टाः सङ्करं घोरमास्थिताः ।। ५८.

Clad in bark, rags, or animal skins, without leaves or possessions, fallen from caste and stage of life, they embrace a dreadful mixture.

एताः काष्ठामनुप्राप्ता अल्पशेषास्तथा प्रजाः । जराव्याधिक्षुधाविष्टा दुःखान्निर्वेदमागमन् ।। ५८.

These remaining people, few in number, reach the final stage, afflicted by old age, disease, and hunger, and from suffering, they come to dispassion.

विचारणन्तु निर्वेदात् साम्यावस्था विचारणात्। साम्यावस्थासु सम्बोधः सम्बोधाद्धर्मशीलता ।। ५८.

From dispassion comes inquiry; from inquiry, the state of equilibrium; in the state of equilibrium arises awakening, and from awakening, righteousness and virtue.

तासुपगमयुक्तासु कलिशिष्टासु वै स्वयम्। अहोरात्रं तदा तासां युगन्तु परिवर्त्तते ।। ५८.

When those few remaining from the Kali age are thus engaged, then, for them, day and night mark the turning of the age.

चित्तसम्मोहनं कृत्वा तासान्तैः सप्तमन्तु तत्। भाविनोऽर्थस्य च बलात्ततः कृतमवर्तत ।। ५८.

After deluding their minds, for seven generations among them, by the force of the coming event, the cycle is completed.

प्रवृत्ते तु पुनस्तस्मिंस्ततः कृतयुगे तु वै। उत्पन्नाः कलिशिष्टास्तु कार्तयुग्यः प्रजाम्तदा ।। ५८.

Then, when that has begun, in the new Krita age, those few remaining from Kali are born as people of the Krita age.

तिष्ठन्ति चेह ये सिद्धाः सुदृष्टा विचरन्ति च। सदा सप्तर्षयश्चैव तत्र ते च व्यवस्थिताः ।। ५८.

Those perfected beings who remain here, who are well-seen and wander about, and the seven sages, are established there.

ब्रह्मक्षत्रविशः शूद्रा बीजार्थं ये स्मृता इह। कलिजैः सह ते सर्वे निर्विशेषास्तदाभवन् ।। ५८.

Those who are known here as Brahmins, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras, for the sake of seed, all become undifferentiated together with those born in Kali.

तेषां सप्तर्षयो धर्म कथयन्तीतरेषु च । वर्णा श्रमाचारयुक्तः श्रौतः स्मार्तो द्विधा तु सः ।। ५८.

Among them, the seven sages teach righteousness, and among the others, the castes are endowed with labor and conduct; the Vedic and traditional duties are twofold.

ततस्तेषु क्रियावत्सु वर्त्तन्ते वै प्रजाः कृते । श्रौतः स्मार्त्तः कृतानान्तु धर्मः सप्तर्षिदर्शितः ।। ५८.

The people in the Krita age follow those practices; the Vedic and traditional righteousness shown by the seven sages is established among them.

तासु धर्मव्यवस्तार्थं तिष्ठन्तीहायुगक्षयात् । मन्वन्तराधिकारेषु तिष्ठन्ति मुनयस्तु वै ।। ५८.

For the sake of establishing righteousness among them, the sages remain here from the end of one age to the next, presiding over the periods of the Manus.

यथा दावप्रदग्धेषु तृणेष्विह तपे ऋतौ । नवानां प्रथमं दृष्टस्तेषां मूले तु सम्भवः ।। ५८.

Just as, when grass is burned by wildfire in the hot season, the first sprouts are seen to arise from the roots,

एवं युगाद्युगस्तेह सन्तानस्तु परस्परम् । वर्त्तते ह्यव्यवच्छेदाद्यावन्मन्वन्तरक्षयः ।। ५८.

So, from age to age, the succession continues without interruption until the end of the Manvantara.

सुखमायुर्बलं रूपं धर्मार्थौ काम एव च । युगेष्वेतानि हीयन्ते त्रीणि पादक्रमेण तु ।। ५८.

Happiness, lifespan, strength, beauty, righteousness, wealth, and desire—all these diminish in the ages, losing three parts in each successive step.

ससन्ध्यंशेषु हीयन्ते युगानां धर्मसिद्धयः। इत्येष प्रतिसन्धिर्वः कीर्त्तितस्तु मया द्विजाः ।। ५८.

The fulfillment of dharma in the ages diminishes during the twilight periods; thus, O twice-born, I have described to you this succession.

चतुर्युगानां सर्वेषामेतेनैव प्रसाधनम् ५८.

This is indeed the arrangement for all four ages.

ब्रह्मणस्तदहः प्रोक्तं रात्रिश्च तावती स्मृता । अत्रार्जवं जडीभावो भूतानामायुगक्षयात् ।। ५८.

That day of Brahma has been spoken of, and his night is remembered as being of equal length; in this, straightforwardness becomes dulled among beings due to the decline of the ages.

एतदेव तु सर्वेषां युगानां लक्षणं स्मृतम्। एषा चतुर्युगानान्तु गणना ह्येकसप्ततिः। क्रमेण परिवृत्ता तु मनोरन्तरमुच्यते ।। ५८.

This alone is remembered as the characteristic of all the ages; and the reckoning of the four ages is seventy-one in sequence, which is called a Manvantara.

चतुर्युगे तथैकस्मिन् भवतीह यथाश्रुतम्। तथा चान्येषु भवति पुनस्तद्वै यथाक्रमम् ।। ५८.

In one such fourfold age, as has been heard here, so too in the others, again, it occurs in the same order.

सर्गे सर्गे यथा भेदा उत्पद्यन्ते तथैव तु । पञ्चविंशत्परिमिता न न्यूना नाधिकास्तथा ।। ५८.

Just as distinctions arise in each creation, so too here; they are counted as twenty-five, neither less nor more.

तथा कल्पयुगैः सार्द्धं भवन्ति समलक्षणाः। मन्वन्तराणां सर्वेषामेतदेव तु लक्षणम् ।। ५८.

Thus, together with the Kalpa ages, they possess the same characteristics; this is indeed the mark of all Manvantaras.

तथा युगानां परिवर्त्तनानि चिरप्रवृत्तानि युगस्वभवात् । तथा न सन्तिष्ठति जीवलोकः क्षयोदयाभ्यां परिवर्त्तमानः ।। ५८.

Thus, the cycles of the ages, long established, revolve according to the nature of the ages; and so the world of living beings does not remain steady, changing through decline and rise.