Narada's Discourse on the Yugas

Shloka 1 (uttara.74.1)

तथा तु करुणं तस्य द्विजस्य परिदेवनम् । शुश्राव राघवः सर्वं दुःखशोकसमन्वितम् ।। 74.1 ।।

tathā tu karuṇaṃ tasya dvijasya paridevanam | śuśrāva rāghavaḥ sarvaṃ duḥkhaśokasamanvitam || 74.1 ||

Raghava heard the whole of that brahmin's piteous lament, laden with grief and sorrow.

Shloka 2 (uttara.74.2)

स दुःखेन च सन्तप्तो मन्त्रिणस्तानुपाह्वयत् । वसिष्ठं वामदेवं च भ्रातरौ सह नैगमान् ।। 74.2 ।।

sa duḥkhena ca santapto mantriṇastānupāhvayat | vasiṣṭhaṃ vāmadevaṃ ca bhrātarau saha naigamān || 74.2 ||

Tormented with sorrow, he summoned his ministers—Vasishtha and Vamadeva—along with his brothers and the leading citizens.

Shloka 3 (uttara.74.3)

ततो द्विजा वसिष्ठेन सार्धमष्टौ प्रवेशिताः । राजानं देवसङ्काशं वर्धस्वेति ततो ऽब्रुवन् ।। 74.3 ।।

tato dvijā vasiṣṭhena sārdhamaṣṭau praveśitāḥ | rājānaṃ devasaṅkāśaṃ vardhasveti tato 'bruvan || 74.3 ||

Then eight brahmins, together with Vasishtha, were ushered in; they greeted the god-like king, saying, "Victory to you!"

Shloka 4 (uttara.74.4)

मार्कण्डेयो ऽथ मौद्गल्यो वामदेवश्च काश्यपः । कात्यायनो ऽथ जाबालिर्गौतमो नारदस्तथा । एते द्विजर्षभाः सर्वे आसनेषूपवेशिताः ।। 74.4 ।।

mārkaṇḍeyo 'tha maudgalyo vāmadevaśca kāśyapaḥ | kātyāyano 'tha jābālirgautamo nāradastathā | ete dvijarṣabhāḥ sarve āsaneṣūpaveśitāḥ || 74.4 ||

Markandeya, Maudgalya, Vamadeva, and Kashyapa; Katyayana, Jabali, Gautama, and Narada—all these foremost brahmins were seated in their appointed places.

Shloka 5 (uttara.74.5)

महर्षीन्समनुप्राप्तानभिवाद्य कृताञ्जलिः । मन्त्रिणो नैगमांश्चैव यथार्हमनुकूलतः ।। 74.5 ।।

maharṣīnsamanuprāptānabhivādya kṛtāñjaliḥ | mantriṇo naigamāṃścaiva yathārhamanukūlataḥ || 74.5 ||

With palms joined, he bowed to the great seers who had come, and likewise to his ministers and the elders, each in due and fitting manner.

Shloka 6 (uttara.74.6)

तेषां समुपविष्टानां सर्वेषां दीप्ततेजसाम् । राघवः सर्वमाचष्टे द्विजो ऽयमुपरोधते ।। 74.6 ।।

teṣāṃ samupaviṣṭānāṃ sarveṣāṃ dīptatejasām | rāghavaḥ sarvamācaṣṭe dvijo 'yamuparodhate || 74.6 ||

When all those blazing with splendor had taken their seats, Raghava recounted the whole matter, saying, "This brahmin presses this grievance upon me."

Shloka 7 (uttara.74.7)

तस्य तद्वचनं श्रुत्वा राज्ञो दीनस्य नारदः । प्रत्युवाच शुभं वाक्यमृषीणां सन्निधौ नृपम् ।। 74.7 ।।

tasya tadvacanaṃ śrutvā rājño dīnasya nāradaḥ | pratyuvāca śubhaṃ vākyamṛṣīṇāṃ sannidhau nṛpam || 74.7 ||

Hearing the sorrowful king's account, Narada replied to him with auspicious words, there in the presence of the sages.

Shloka 8 (uttara.74.8)

शृणु राजन्यथाकाले प्राप्तो बालस्य सङ्क्षयः । श्रुत्वा कर्तव्यतां राजन्कुरुष्वरघुनन्दन ।। 74.8 ।।

śṛṇu rājanyathākāle prāpto bālasya saṅkṣayaḥ | śrutvā kartavyatāṃ rājankuruṣvaraghunandana || 74.8 ||

"Listen, O king: hear how this child's untimely death has come about; and having heard it, O delighter of the Raghus, do what is fitting."

Shloka 9 (uttara.74.9)

पुरा कृतयुगे राजन्ब्राह्मणा वै तपस्विनः । अब्राह्मणस्तदा राजन्न तपस्वी कथञ्चन ।। 74.9 ।।

purā kṛtayuge rājanbrāhmaṇā vai tapasvinaḥ | abrāhmaṇastadā rājanna tapasvī kathañcana || 74.9 ||

"Long ago, O king, in the Krita Yuga, only brahmins practiced austerities; in that age, O king, no one who was not a brahmin ever performed tapas at all."

Shloka 10 (uttara.74.10)

तस्मिन्युगे प्रज्वलिते ब्रह्मभूते त्वनावृते । अमृत्यवस्तदा सर्वे जज्ञिरे दीर्घदर्शिनः ।। 74.10 ।।

tasminyuge prajvalite brahmabhūte tvanāvṛte | amṛtyavastadā sarve jajñire dīrghadarśinaḥ || 74.10 ||

"In that blazing age, wholly steeped in the sacred and unclouded, all beings then were born free of untimely death and endowed with far-sightedness."

Shloka 11 (uttara.74.11)

ततस्त्रेतायुगं नाम मानवानां वपुष्मताम् । क्षत्रियास्तत्र जायन्ते पूर्णेन तपसा ऽन्विताः ।। 74.11 ।।

tatastretāyugaṃ nāma mānavānāṃ vapuṣmatām | kṣatriyāstatra jāyante pūrṇena tapasā 'nvitāḥ || 74.11 ||

"Thereafter came the age called Treta Yuga for embodied men, in which kshatriyas too were born, endowed with tapas in full measure."

Shloka 12 (uttara.74.12)

वीर्येण तपसा चैव ते ऽधिकाः पूर्वजन्मनि । मानवा ये महात्मानस्त्वत्र त्रेतायुगे युगे ।। 74.12 ।।

vīryeṇa tapasā caiva te 'dhikāḥ pūrvajanmani | mānavā ye mahātmānastvatra tretāyuge yuge || 74.12 ||

"Those great-souled men who lived in that Treta age surpassed others in both valor and austerity, by virtue of their former births."

Shloka 13 (uttara.74.13)

ब्रह्मक्षत्रं च तत्सर्वं यत्पूर्वमपरं च यत् । युगयोरुभयोरासीत्समवीर्यसमन्वितम् ।। 74.13 ।।

brahmakṣatraṃ ca tatsarvaṃ yatpūrvamaparaṃ ca yat | yugayorubhayorāsītsamavīryasamanvitam || 74.13 ||

"And the whole brahmin-and-kshatriya order, whether of the earlier or the later time, was endowed with equal strength across both these ages."

Shloka 14 (uttara.74.14)

अपश्यंस्तु न ते सर्वे विशेषमधिकं ततः । स्थापनं चक्रिरे तत्र चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य सम्मतम् ।। 74.14 ।।

apaśyaṃstu na te sarve viśeṣamadhikaṃ tataḥ | sthāpanaṃ cakrire tatra cāturvarṇyasya sammatam || 74.14 ||

"Seeing no further distinction beyond this, they then established the agreed-upon order of the four varnas."

Shloka 15 (uttara.74.15)

तस्मिन्युगे प्रज्वलिते धर्मभूते ह्यनावृते । अधर्मः पादमेकं तु पातयत्पृथिवीतले ।। 74.15 ।।

tasminyuge prajvalite dharmabhūte hyanāvṛte | adharmaḥ pādamekaṃ tu pātayatpṛthivītale || 74.15 ||

"In that blazing age, steeped in dharma and unclouded, Adharma nonetheless set down one single foot upon the earth."

Shloka 16 (uttara.74.16)

अधर्मेण हि संयुक्तस्तेजो मन्दं भविष्यति ।। 74.16 ।।

adharmeṇa hi saṃyuktastejo mandaṃ bhaviṣyati || 74.16 ||

"For, once joined with adharma, that inner radiance was destined to grow dim."

Shloka 17 (uttara.74.17)

आमिषं यच्च पूर्वेषां राजसं च मलं भृशम् । अनृतं नाम तद्भूतं पादेन पृथिवीतले ।। 74.17 ।।

āmiṣaṃ yacca pūrveṣāṃ rājasaṃ ca malaṃ bhṛśam | anṛtaṃ nāma tadbhūtaṃ pādena pṛthivītale || 74.17 ||

"And whatever craving for gain, whatever intense passionate impurity, existed among the men of old, became, in the shape of falsehood, that one foot of Adharma upon the earth."

Shloka 18 (uttara.74.18)

अनृतं पातयित्वा तु पादमेकमधर्मतः । ततः प्रादुष्कृतं पूर्वमायुषः परिनिष्ठितम् ।। 74.18 ।।

anṛtaṃ pātayitvā tu pādamekamadharmataḥ | tataḥ prāduṣkṛtaṃ pūrvamāyuṣaḥ pariniṣṭhitam || 74.18 ||

"Having thus, through adharma, set down falsehood as its one foot, thereafter the span of life that had earlier stood full and complete began to be affected."

Shloka 19 (uttara.74.19)

पतिते त्वनृते तस्मिन्नधर्मे च महीतले । शुभान्येवाचरँल्लोकः सत्यधर्मपरायणः ।। 74.19 ।।

patite tvanṛte tasminnadharme ca mahītale | śubhānyevācara~llokaḥ satyadharmaparāyaṇaḥ || 74.19 ||

"Even though that falsehood and that measure of adharma had thus fallen upon the earth, people, still devoted to truth and dharma, continued to do only what was good."

Shloka 20 (uttara.74.20)

त्रेतायुगे च वर्तन्ते ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रियाश्च ये । तपो ऽतप्यन्त ते सर्वे शुश्रूषामपरे जनाः ।। 74.20 ।।

tretāyuge ca vartante brāhmaṇāḥ kṣatriyāśca ye | tapo 'tapyanta te sarve śuśrūṣāmapare janāḥ || 74.20 ||

"And in the Treta Yuga, the brahmins and kshatriyas who lived then all practiced austerity, while the remaining people occupied themselves with service."

Shloka 21 (uttara.74.21)

स धर्मः परमस्तेषां वैश्यशूद्रं समागमत् । पूजां च सर्ववर्णानां शूद्राश्चक्रुर्विशेषतः ।। 74.21 ।।

sa dharmaḥ paramasteṣāṃ vaiśyaśūdraṃ samāgamat | pūjāṃ ca sarvavarṇānāṃ śūdrāścakrurviśeṣataḥ || 74.21 ||

"That was their highest dharma, and it reached to the vaishya and shudra as well; and the shudras, in particular, rendered honor and service to all the varnas."

Shloka 22 (uttara.74.22)

एतस्मिन्नन्तरे तेषामधर्मे चानृते च ह । ततः पूर्वे भृशं ह्रासमगमन्नृपसत्तम ।। 74.22 ।।

etasminnantare teṣāmadharme cānṛte ca ha | tataḥ pūrve bhṛśaṃ hrāsamagamannṛpasattama || 74.22 ||

"Meanwhile, O best of kings, as adharma and falsehood advanced, what had prevailed before underwent a sharp decline."

Shloka 23 (uttara.74.23)

ततः पादमधर्मस्स द्वितीयमवतारयत् । ततो द्वापरसञ्ज्ञा ऽस्य युगस्य समजायत ।। 74.23 ।।

tataḥ pādamadharmassa dvitīyamavatārayat | tato dvāparasañjñā 'sya yugasya samajāyata || 74.23 ||

"Then Adharma set down its second foot, and from that the age came to bear the name Dvapara."

Shloka 24 (uttara.74.24)

तस्मिन्द्वापरसञ्ज्ञे तु वर्तमाने युगक्षये । अधर्मश्चानृतं चैव ववृधे पुरुषर्षभ ।। 74.24 ।।

tasmindvāparasañjñe tu vartamāne yugakṣaye | adharmaścānṛtaṃ caiva vavṛdhe puruṣarṣabha || 74.24 ||

"O bull among men, when that age called Dvapara arrived, marking the decline of the age before it, adharma and falsehood grew ever stronger."

Shloka 25 (uttara.74.25)

तस्मिन्द्वापरसङ्ख्याते तपो वैश्यान्समाविशत् । त्रिभ्यो युगेभ्यस्त्रीन्वर्णान्क्रमाद्वै तप आविशत् ।। 74.25 ।।

tasmindvāparasaṅkhyāte tapo vaiśyānsamāviśat | tribhyo yugebhyastrīnvarṇānkramādvai tapa āviśat || 74.25 ||

"In that age reckoned as Dvapara, austerity entered even the vaishyas; from the three ages, tapas came in due order to enter each of the three varnas."

Shloka 26 (uttara.74.26)

त्रिभ्यो युगेभ्यस्त्रीन्वर्णान्धर्मश्च परिनिष्ठितः । न शुद्धो लभते धर्मं युगतस्तु नरर्षभ । हीनवर्णो नृपश्रेष्ठ तप्यते सुमहत्तपः ।। 74.26 ।।

tribhyo yugebhyastrīnvarṇāndharmaśca pariniṣṭhitaḥ | na śuddho labhate dharmaṃ yugatastu nararṣabha | hīnavarṇo nṛpaśreṣṭha tapyate sumahattapaḥ || 74.26 ||

"From the three ages, dharma too came to settle fully upon each of the three varnas in turn. O bull among men, O best of kings, now the pure-born no longer obtain dharma merely by the age—instead, one of the lowest varna undertakes the greatest austerities."

Shloka 27 (uttara.74.27)

भविष्यच्छूद्रयोन्यां वै तपश्चर्या कलौ युगे । अधर्मः परमो राजन्द्वापरे शूद्रजन्मनः ।। 74.27 ।।

bhaviṣyacchūdrayonyāṃ vai tapaścaryā kalau yuge | adharmaḥ paramo rājandvāpare śūdrajanmanaḥ || 74.27 ||

"In the age of Kali, the practice of austerity shall indeed belong even to those born in a shudra womb; but in the Dvapara age, O king, for one of shudra birth to do so is the very worst adharma."

Shloka 28 (uttara.74.28)

स वै विषयपर्यन्ते तव राजन्महातपाः । अद्य तप्यति दुर्बुद्धिस्तेन बालवधो ह्ययम् ।। 74.28 ।।

sa vai viṣayaparyante tava rājanmahātapāḥ | adya tapyati durbuddhistena bālavadho hyayam || 74.28 ||

"It is just such a one, O king—an ill-minded man performing great austerities—who at this very moment practices tapas at the edge of your realm; and it is because of him that this child's death has come to pass."

Shloka 29 (uttara.74.29)

यो ह्यधर्ममकार्यं वा विषये पार्थिवस्य तु । करोति चाश्रीमूलं तत्पुरे वा दुर्मतिर्नरः । क्षिप्रं च नरकं याति स च राजा न संशयः ।। 74.29 ।।

yo hyadharmamakāryaṃ vā viṣaye pārthivasya tu | karoti cāśrīmūlaṃ tatpure vā durmatirnaraḥ | kṣipraṃ ca narakaṃ yāti sa ca rājā na saṃśayaḥ || 74.29 ||

"For whoever—whether a foolish man in the city or elsewhere in the king's domain—commits adharma or improper acts that destroy prosperity, swiftly goes to hell; and, without doubt, so does that king as well."

Shloka 30 (uttara.74.30)

अधीतस्य च तप्तस्य कर्मणः सुकृतस्य च । षष्ठं भजति भागं तु प्रजा धर्मेण पालयन् ।। 74.30 ।।

adhītasya ca taptasya karmaṇaḥ sukṛtasya ca | ṣaṣṭhaṃ bhajati bhāgaṃ tu prajā dharmeṇa pālayan || 74.30 ||

"A king who protects his subjects according to dharma receives a sixth share of the merit of their learning, their austerity, and their good deeds."

Shloka 31 (uttara.74.31)

षङ्भागस्य न भोक्ता ऽसौ रक्षते न प्रजाः कथम् ।। 74.31 ।।

ṣaṅbhāgasya na bhoktā 'sau rakṣate na prajāḥ katham || 74.31 ||

"But how can one who fails to protect his subjects rightly enjoy that sixth share?"

Shloka 32 (uttara.74.32)

स त्वं पुरुषशार्दूल मार्गस्व विषयं स्वकम् । दुष्कृतं यत्र पश्येथास्तत्र यत्नं समाचर ।। 74.32 ।।

sa tvaṃ puruṣaśārdūla mārgasva viṣayaṃ svakam | duṣkṛtaṃ yatra paśyethāstatra yatnaṃ samācara || 74.32 ||

"Therefore, O tiger among men, search through your own realm; wherever you find wrongdoing, apply yourself there to setting it right."

Shloka 33 (uttara.74.33)

एवं चेद्धर्मवृद्धिश्च नृणां चायुर्विवर्धनम् । भविष्यति नरश्रेष्ठ बालस्यास्य च जीवितम् ।। 74.33 ।।

evaṃ ceddharmavṛddhiśca nṛṇāṃ cāyurvivardhanam | bhaviṣyati naraśreṣṭha bālasyāsya ca jīvitam || 74.33 ||

"If you do so, O best of men, dharma shall increase, men's lifespans shall grow, and this child too shall receive his life again."