Vayu Purana

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.

इत्येतल्लक्षणं प्रोक्तं युगानां वै समासतः। अतीतानागतानां वै सर्वाण्येवान्तराणि ।। ५८.

Thus, the characteristics of the ages have been described in summary, including all the intervals of past and future ages.

अनागतेषु तद्वच्च तर्क्कः कार्यो विजानता। मन्वन्तरेषु सर्वेषु अतीतानागतेष्विह ।। ५८.

Likewise, in the ages yet to come, one who knows should reason similarly; in all Manvantaras, both past and future, here.

मन्वन्तरेण चैकेन सर्वाण्येवान्तराणि वै। व्याख्यातानि विजानीद्वं कल्पे कल्पेन चैव हि ।। ५८.

By a single Manvantara, all the intervals are indeed explained; you should understand this in each Kalpa, and in every Kalpa as well.

अस्याभिमानिनः सर्वे नामरूपैर्भवन्त्युत। देवा ह्यष्टविधा ये च इह मन्वन्तरेश्वराः ।। ५८.

All those who are proud of this become manifest with names and forms; and the eightfold gods, as well as the rulers of the Manvantaras here.

ऋषयो मनवश्चैव सर्वे तुल्याः प्रयोजनैः। एवं वर्णाश्रमाणान्तु प्रविभागो युगे युगे ।। ५८.

The sages and Manus are all equal in their purposes; thus, the division of castes and stages of life occurs in every age.

युगस्वभावाच्च तथा विधत्ते वै सदा प्रभुः । वर्णाश्रमविभागश्च युगानि युगसिद्धये ।। ५८.

And so, according to the nature of the ages, the Lord always establishes the division of castes and stages of life for the fulfillment of the ages.

अनुषङ्गः समाख्यातः सृष्टिसर्गन्निबोधत। विस्तरेणानुपूर्व्या च स्थितिं वक्ष्ये युगेष्विह ।। ५८.

The connection has been described; now learn about the creation and the creative process. I will explain the order of existence in the ages here in detail.

युगेषु यास्तु जायन्ते प्रजास्ता वै निबोधत। आशुरी सर्पगोपक्षिपैशाची यक्षराक्षसी। यस्मिन् युगे च सम्भूतिस्तासां यावत्तु जीवितम् ।। ५९.

Now learn about the beings that are born in the ages: Asurī, serpent, cowherd, Piśācī, Yakṣa, Rākṣasī; in whichever age their birth occurs, so long lasts their life.

पिशाचासुरगन्धर्वा यक्षराक्षसपन्नगाः। युगमात्रन्तु जीवन्ति ऋते मृत्युवधेन ते ।। ५९.

Piśācas, Asuras, Gandharvas, Yakṣas, Rākṣasas, and serpents live only for the duration of the age, except when killed by death.

मानुषाणां पशूनाञ्च पक्षिणां स्थावरैःसह। तेषामायुः परिक्रान्तं युगधर्मेषु सर्वशः ।। ५९.

For humans, animals, birds, and plants, their lifespan is determined entirely by the dharma of the age.