Vayu Purana

सत्त्वं कृतं रजस्त्रेता द्वापरन्तु रजस्तमौ। कलौ तमस्तु विज्ञेयं युगवृत्तवशेन तु

Sattva prevails in Krita, rajas in Treta, and in Dvapara both rajas and tamas; in Kali, tamas alone is to be understood, according to the nature of the ages.

कालः कृते युगे त्वेष तस्य संख्यान्निबोधत। चत्वारि तु सहस्राणि वर्षाणां त्त कृतं युगम्

Now, in the Krita age, time is as follows: listen to its reckoning—four thousand years constitute the Krita age.

सन्ध्यांशौ तस्य दिव्यानि शतान्यष्टौ च संख्यया। तदा तासां बभूवायुर्न्न च क्लेशविपत्तयः

Its twilight portions are eight hundred divine years in number; then, during those times, Vayu existed, and there was no suffering or calamity.

ततः कृतयुगे तस्मिन् सन्ध्यांशे हि गते तु वैः। पादावशिष्टो भवति युगधर्मस्तु सर्वशः

After the twilight portion of the Krita age has passed, only one quarter remains of the age's virtue, and all its qualities.

सन्ध्यायामप्यतीतायामन्तकाले युगस्य तु। पादतश्वावतिष्ठेत्तु सन्ध्याधर्मो युगस्य तु। एवं कृते तु निःशेषे सिद्धि स्त्वन्तर्दधे तदा

When the twilight has ended, at the close of the age, only a quarter of the twilight's virtue remains; thus, in Krita, perfection entirely disappears at that time.

तस्याञ्च सिद्धौ भ्रष्टायां मानस्यामभवत्ततः। सिद्धिरन्या युगे तस्मिस्त्रेतायामन्तरे कृताः

When that perfection is lost, another perfection arises in the Treta age, in place of the mental perfection.

सर्गादौ या मयाष्टौ तु मानस्यो वै प्रकीर्त्तिताः। अष्टौ ताः क्रमयोगेन सिद्धयो यान्ति संक्षयम्

At the beginning of creation, eight mental perfections were proclaimed by me; those eight, in order, diminish gradually.

कल्पादौ मानसी ह्येषा सिद्धिर्भवति सा कृते। मन्वन्तरेषु सर्वेषु चतुर्युगविभागशः। वर्णाश्रमाचारकृतः कर्मसिद्धोद्भवः स्मृतः

At the start of a cycle, this mental perfection exists in Krita; in all manvantaras, divided by the four ages, perfection arises from actions performed according to caste and stage of life.

सन्ध्याकृतस्य पादेन सन्ध्यापादेन चांशतः। कृतसन्ध्यांशका ह्येते त्रींस्त्रीन् पादान् परस्परान्। ह्रसन्ति युगधर्मैस्ते तपः श्रुतबलायुषैः

By a portion of the twilight of Krita, and by a portion of its twilight, these three quarters of the twilight of Krita diminish, along with the virtues of the ages—asceticism, scriptural strength, and longevity.

ततः कृतांशे क्षीणे तु बभूव तदनन्तरम्। त्रेतायां युगमन्यन्तु कृताशमृषिसत्तमाः

Then, when the Krita twilight is depleted, immediately thereafter, the Treta age begins, O best of sages.

तस्मिन् क्षीणे कृतांशे तु तच्छिष्टासु प्रजास्विह। कल्पादौ संप्रवृत्तायास्त्रेतायाः प्रमुखे तदा

When the Krita twilight is diminished, among the remaining beings, at the beginning of the Treta age, at the start of the cycle, it commences.

प्रणश्यति तदा सिद्धिः कालयोगेन नान्यथा। तस्यां सिद्धौ प्रणष्टायामन्या सिद्धिरवर्त्तत

Then, perfection disappears by the force of time, not otherwise; when that perfection is lost, another perfection arises.

अपां सौक्ष्म्ये प्रतिगते तदा मेघात्मना तु तौ। मेघेभ्यस्तनयित्नुभ्यः प्रवृत्तं वृष्टिसर्ज्जनम्

When the subtlety of water is withdrawn, then, by the nature of clouds, from clouds and thunder, rainfall begins.

सकृदेव तया वृष्ट्या संयुक्ते पृथिवीतले। प्रादुरासंस्तदा तासां वृक्षास्तु गृहसंस्थिताः

With a single occurrence of that rain, the earth's surface became joined; then, trees appeared, established in homes.

सर्वप्रत्युपभोगस्तु तासां तेभ्यः प्रजायते। वर्त्तयन्ति हि तेभ्यस्तास्त्रेतायुगमुखे प्रजाः

Universal enjoyment arises from them; indeed, the beings of Treta age subsist upon them at the beginning of the age.

ततः कालेन महता तासामेव विपर्ययात्। रागलोभात्मको भावस्तदा ह्याकस्मिकोऽभवत्

Then, after a long time, due to reversal among them, a state of passion and greed arose suddenly.

यत्तद्भवति नारीणां जीवितान्ते तदार्त्तवम्। तदा तद्वै न भवति पुनर्युगबलेन तु

That which occurs at the end of a woman's life, menstruation, did not exist then, but later appeared due to the influence of the age.

तासां पुनः प्रवृत्तं तु मासे मासे तदार्त्तवम्। ततस्तेनैव योगेन वर्त्ततां मिथुने तदा

For them, again, menstruation occurred month by month; thus, by that same process, intercourse took place at that time.

. तासां तत्कालभावित्वान्मासि मास्युपगच्छताम्। अकाले ह्यार्त्तवोत्पत्तिर्गर्भोत्पत्तिरजायत

Because of their being affected at that time, as they engaged month by month, when menstruation arose out of season, conception occurred.

विपर्ययेण तासां तु तेन कालेन भाविना। प्रणश्यन्ति ततः सर्वे वृक्षास्ते गृहसंस्थिताः

But contrariwise, at that destined time for them, all those trees established in houses perished.

ततस्तेषु प्रणष्टेषु विभ्रान्ता व्याकुलेन्द्रियाः। अभि ध्यायन्ति तां सिद्धिं सत्याभिध्यायिनस्तदा

Then, when those had perished, bewildered and with agitated senses, they intensely desired that attainment, those who truly aspired.

प्रादुर्बभूवुस्तासां च वृक्षास्ते गृहसंस्थिताः। वस्त्राणि च प्रसूयन्ते फलान्याभरणानि च

For them, those house-dwelling trees appeared again; and garments, fruits, and ornaments were produced.

तेष्वेव जायते तासां गंधवर्णरसान्वितम्। अमाक्षिकं महावीर्यं पुटके पुटके मधु

From those alone, for them, honey endowed with fragrance, color, and taste, of great potency, was generated in every cluster.

तेन ता वर्तयन्ति स्म मुखे त्रेतायुगस्य च। हृष्टतुष्टास्तया सिद्ध्या प्रजा वै विगतज्वराः

By that, they lived in the Tretā Yuga, delighted and content, the people, free from affliction, by means of that attainment.

पुनः कालांतरेणैव पुनर्ल्लोभावृतास्तु ताः। वृक्षांस्तान् पर्यगृह्णन्त मधु वा माक्षिकं बलात्

Again, after some time, overcome by greed, they seized those trees and honey or bee-honey by force.

तासां तेनापचारेण पुनर्ल्लोककृतेन वै। प्रणष्टा मधुना सार्द्धं कल्पवृक्षाः व्कचित् व्कचित्

Because of that transgression of theirs, again, caused by people, the wish-fulfilling trees, along with the honey, perished here and there.

तस्यामेवाल्पशिष्टायां संध्याकालवशात्तदा। प्रावर्तंत तदा तासां द्वंद्वान्यभ्युत्थितानि तु

When only a little remained of them at that time, due to the influence of twilight, pairs of opposites then arose among them.

शीतवातातपैस्तीव्रैस्ततस्ता दुःखिता भृशम्

Then, afflicted greatly by intense cold, wind, and heat, they suffered.

कृत्वा द्वंद्व प्रतीकारं निकेतानि हि भोजिरे। पूर्वं निकमिपारास्ते अनिकेताश्रया भृशम्

To counteract the pairs of opposites, they made dwellings; previously, they had mostly lived without fixed abodes.