Vayu Purana

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.

अस्थितिस्तु कलौ दृष्टा भूतानामायुषस्तु वै। परमायुः शतन्त्वेतन्मनुष्याणां कलौ स्मृतम् ।। ५९.

In the Kali age, the observed lifespan of beings is diminished; the highest lifespan for humans in this age is said to be one hundred years.

देवासुरप्रमाणात्तु सप्तसप्ताङ्गुलं ह्रसत्। अह्गुलानां शतं पूर्णमष्टपञ्चाशदुत्तरम् ।। ५९.

Compared to the measure of gods and demons, it is reduced by forty-nine finger-breadths; the full measure is one hundred fingers, with an additional fifty-eight.

देवासुरप्रमाणन्तदुच्छ्रायं कलिजैः स्मृतम्। चत्वारश्चाप्यशीतिश्च कलिजैरङ्गुलैः स्मृतम् ।। ५९.

That measure of gods and demons is considered the height for those born in the Kali age; for those in Kali, it is said to be eighty-four finger-breadths.

स्वेनाङ्गुलप्रमाणेन ऊर्द्ध्वमापादमस्तकम्। इत्येष मानुषोत्सेधो ह्रसतीह युगान्तिके ।। ५९.

By one's own finger measure, from feet to head, this is the human height, which diminishes here at the end of the age.

सर्वेषु युगकालेषु अतीतानागतेष्विह। स्वेनाङ्गुलप्रमाणेन अष्टतालः स्मृतो नरः ।। ५९.

In all ages, past and future, the human is said to be eight tālas tall, measured by his own finger-breadth.

आपादतो मस्तकन्तु नवतालो भवेत्तु यः। संहताजानुबाहुस्तु स सुरैरपि पूज्यते ।। ५९.

He whose height from foot to head is nine tālas, and whose arms reach the knees when joined, is honored even by the gods.

गवाश्वहस्तिनाञ्चैव महिष स्थावरात्मनाम्। क्रमेणैतेन योगेन ह्रासवृद्धी युगे युगे ।। ५९.

For cows, horses, elephants, buffaloes, and stationary beings, in order, by this same calculation, their size decreases or increases in each age.

षट्सप्तत्यङ्गुलोत्सेधः पशूनां ककुदस्तु वै। अङ्गुलाष्टशतं पूर्णमुत्सेधः करिणां स्मृतः ।। ५९.

The height of cattle is seventy-six finger-breadths at the hump; the full height of elephants is said to be one hundred and eight finger-breadths.

अङ्गुलानां सहस्रन्तु चत्वारिंशाङ्गुलं विना । पञ्चाशतं हयानाञ्च उत्सेधः शाखिनां स्मृतः ।। ५९.

The height of horses is said to be one thousand finger-breadths, less forty-four; and for trees, it is fifty finger-breadths.

मानुषस्य शरीरस्य सन्निवेशस्तु यादृशः। तल्लक्षणस्तु देवानां दृश्यते तत्त्वर्शनात् ।। ५९.

The arrangement of the human body is as it is; those same characteristics are seen in the gods, according to true knowledge.