The Four Ages in Bharatavarsha

Verse 1 (padma.3.7.1)

ऋषय ऊचुः । भारतस्यास्य वर्षस्य तथा हैमवतस्य च । प्रमाणमायुषः सूत बलं चापि शुभाशुभम्

ṛṣaya ūcuḥ bhāratasyāsya varṣasya tathā haimavatasya ca pramāṇamāyuṣaḥ sūta balaṁ cāpi śubhāśubham

The sages said: O Suta, the measure of the lifespan, and likewise the strength, auspicious or inauspicious, of this land of Bharata and of Haimavata,

Verse 2 (padma.3.7.2)

अनागतमतिक्रांतं वर्तमानं च सत्तम । आचक्ष्व नो विस्तरेण हरिवर्षं तथैव च

anāgatamatikrāṁtaṁ vartamānaṁ ca sattama ācakṣva no vistareṇa harivarṣaṁ tathaiva ca

what has passed, what is to come, and what is present, O excellent one — tell us all of this in detail, and likewise of Hari-varsha.

Verse 3 (padma.3.7.3)

सूत उवाच । चत्वारि भारते वर्षे युगानि मुनिपुंगवाः । कृतं त्रेता द्वापरं च तिष्यं च द्विजसत्तमाः

sūta uvāca catvāri bhārate varṣe yugāni munipuṁgavāḥ kṛtaṁ tretā dvāparaṁ ca tiṣyaṁ ca dvijasattamāḥ

Suta said: O bulls among sages, in the land of Bharata there are four ages — Krita, Treta, Dvapara, and Tishya (Kali), O best of the twice-born.

Verse 4 (padma.3.7.4)

पूर्वे कृतयुगं नाम ततस्त्रेतायुगं द्विजाः । तत्पश्चाद्द्वापरं चाथ ततस्तिष्यः प्रवर्तते

pūrve kṛtayugaṁ nāma tatastretāyugaṁ dvijāḥ tatpaścāddvāparaṁ cātha tatastiṣyaḥ pravartate

First comes the age named Krita, then, O twice-born, the Treta age; after that Dvapara, and then Tishya (Kali) proceeds.

Verse 5 (padma.3.7.5)

चत्वारि तु सहस्राणि वर्षाणां मुनिपुंगवाः । आयुः संख्या कृतयुगे संख्याता हि तपोधनाः

catvāri tu sahasrāṇi varṣāṇāṁ munipuṁgavāḥ āyuḥ saṁkhyā kṛtayuge saṁkhyātā hi tapodhanāḥ

O bulls among sages, in the Krita age the lifespan is reckoned at four thousand years, O ascetics — so it has been counted.

Verse 6 (padma.3.7.6)

तथा त्रीणि सहस्राणि त्रेतायामायुषो विदुः । द्वे सहस्रे द्वापरे तु भुवि तिष्ठंति सांप्रतम्

tathā trīṇi sahasrāṇi tretāyāmāyuṣo viduḥ dve sahasre dvāpare tu bhuvi tiṣṭhaṁti sāṁpratam

Likewise, in Treta the lifespan is known to be three thousand years; in Dvapara it is two thousand, as now stands upon the earth.

Verse 7 (padma.3.7.7)

तत्प्रमाणस्थितिर्ह्यस्ति तिष्ये तु मुनिपुंगवाः । गर्भस्थाश्च म्रियंतेऽत्र तथा जाता म्रियंति च

tatpramāṇasthitirhyasti tiṣye tu munipuṁgavāḥ garbhasthāśca mriyaṁte'tra tathā jātā mriyaṁti ca

O bulls among sages, as for the measure and state of things in Tishya (Kali) — there beings die even within the womb, and, once born, likewise die swiftly.

Verse 8 (padma.3.7.8)

महाबला महासत्त्वाः प्रज्ञागुणसमन्विताः । प्रजायंते च जाताश्च शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः

mahābalā mahāsattvāḥ prajñāguṇasamanvitāḥ prajāyaṁte ca jātāśca śataśo'tha sahasraśaḥ

Beings of great strength and great vigor, endowed with wisdom and virtue, are born, and having been born, multiply by the hundreds and thousands.

Verse 9 (padma.3.7.9)

द्विजाः कृतयुगे विप्रा बलिनः प्रियदर्शनाः । प्रजायंते च जाताश्च मुनयो वै तपोधनाः

dvijāḥ kṛtayuge viprā balinaḥ priyadarśanāḥ prajāyaṁte ca jātāśca munayo vai tapodhanāḥ

O brahmins, in the Krita age the twice-born are born powerful and pleasant to behold; the sages born there too are rich in austerity.

Verse 10 (padma.3.7.10)

महोत्साहा महात्मानो धार्मिकाः सत्यवादिनः । प्रियदर्शा वपुष्मंतो महावीर्य्या धनुर्धराः

mahotsāhā mahātmāno dhārmikāḥ satyavādinaḥ priyadarśā vapuṣmaṁto mahāvīryyā dhanurdharāḥ

They are of great enterprise, great-souled, righteous, truthful in speech, pleasant to behold, of fine physique, of great valor, and skilled with the bow.

Verse 11 (padma.3.7.11)

वीरा हि युधि जायंते क्षत्रियाः शूरसंमताः । त्रेतायां क्षत्रियास्तावत्सर्वे वै चक्रवर्तिनः

vīrā hi yudhi jāyaṁte kṣatriyāḥ śūrasaṁmatāḥ tretāyāṁ kṣatriyāstāvatsarve vai cakravartinaḥ

Heroic kshatriyas are born, honored as valiant in battle. In the Treta age, all kshatriyas become universal emperors.

Verse 12 (padma.3.7.12)

सर्ववर्णाश्च जायंते सदैव द्वापरे युगे । महोत्साहा वीर्यवंतः परस्परवधैषिणः

sarvavarṇāśca jāyaṁte sadaiva dvāpare yuge mahotsāhā vīryavaṁtaḥ parasparavadhaiṣiṇaḥ

In the Dvapara age, all the varnas are born alike, of great enterprise and valor, yet also inclined to seek one another's destruction.

Verse 13 (padma.3.7.13)

तेजसांधेनसंयुक्ताः क्रोधनाः पुरुषाः किल । लुब्धाश्चानृतकाश्चैव तिष्ये जायंति भो द्विजाः

tejasāṁdhenasaṁyuktāḥ krodhanāḥ puruṣāḥ kila lubdhāścānṛtakāścaiva tiṣye jāyaṁti bho dvijāḥ

O twice-born, in the Tishya age (Kali) men are born prone to anger, burning with a blind, unchecked fire, greedy, and untruthful in speech.

Verse 14 (padma.3.7.14)

ईर्ष्या मानस्तथा क्रोधो मायासूया तथैव च । तिष्ये भवंति भूतानां रागो लोभश्च सत्तमाः

īrṣyā mānastathā krodho māyāsūyā tathaiva ca tiṣye bhavaṁti bhūtānāṁ rāgo lobhaśca sattamāḥ

O excellent ones, in the Tishya age, envy, pride, anger, deceit, and malice arise among beings, along with passion and greed.

Verse 15 (padma.3.7.15)

संक्षेपो वर्त्तते विप्रा द्वापरे युगमध्यगे । गुणोत्तरं हैमवतं हरिवर्षं ततः परम्

saṁkṣepo varttate viprā dvāpare yugamadhyage guṇottaraṁ haimavataṁ harivarṣaṁ tataḥ param

O brahmins, thus a summary of the Dvapara age lying in the middle has been given. Haimavata surpasses it in its qualities, and beyond that lies Hari-varsha.