वैशम्पायन उवाच एवमुक्तो महाबाहुर्भीमसेनः प्रतापवान्। प्रणिपत्य ततः प्रीत्या भ्रातरं हृष्टमानसः॥
Vaishampayana said : Having been thus addressed, the mighty armed and greatly powerful Bhimasena cheerfully bowed down his head to his brother Hanuman.
उवाच श्लक्ष्णया वाचा हनूमन्तं कपीश्वरम्। मयाधन्यतरो नास्ति यदार्यं हृष्टवानहम्॥
He spoke in mild words to the monkey chief, Hanuman, "None is more fortunate than I am for I have been able to see my brother.
अनुग्रहो मे सुमहांस्तृप्तिश्च तव दर्शनात्। एकं तु कृतमिच्छामि त्वयाद्य प्रियमात्मनः॥
It is a great favour shown to me. I have been greatly pleased with you. Now I desire that you will today fulfill my wish.
यत् ते तदाऽऽसीत् प्लवतः सागरं मकरालयम्। रूपमप्रतिमं वीर तदिच्छामि निरीक्षितुम्॥
O hero, I desire to see your that matchless form which you had at the time when you jumped across the ocean, that abode of crocodiles and sharks.
एवं तुष्टो भविष्यामि श्रद्धास्यामि च ते वचः। एवमुक्तः स तेजस्वी प्रहस्य हरिरब्रवीत्॥
I shall be then satisfied and I shall have faith in your words.” Having been thus addressed, that greatly powerful one smilingly thus replied,
न तच्छक्यं त्वया द्रष्टुं रूपं नान्येन केनचित्। कालावस्था तदा ह्यन्या वर्तते सा न साम्प्रतम्॥
"My that form neither you nor any one else can see. The state of things was different at that age. It does not exist now.
अन्यः कृतयुगे कालस्त्रेतायां द्वापरे परः। अयं प्रध्वंसन: कालो नाद्य तद् रूपमस्ति मे॥
In the Krita Yuga, the state of things was one, in the Treta another and in the Dvapara another. Diminution (of everything) is taking place in this age. I have (therefore) not that form today.
भूमिर्नद्यो नगाः शैलाः सिद्धा देवा महर्षयः। कालं समनुवर्तन्ते यथा भावा युगे युगे।॥
The ground, the rivers, the plants, the rocks, the Siddhas, the celestials, the great Rishis, all conform to Time, as it comes to be in the different Yugas.
बलवर्णप्रभावा हि प्रहीयन्त्युद्भवन्ति च। तदलं वत तद् रूपं द्रष्टुं कुरुकुलोद्वह। युगं समनुवामि कालो हि दुरतिक्रमः॥
O perpetuator of the Kuru race, therefore do not desire to see my former form. I am following the tendency of this (present) age. Time is irresistible.
भीम उवाच युगसंख्यां समाचक्ष्व आचारं च युगे युगे। धर्मकामार्थभावांश्च कर्मवीर्ये भवाभवौ॥
Tell me what is the duration of different Yugas and what are the different manners and customs, virtue, pleasure and profit, acts, prowess, life and death in those different ages.
हनूमानुवाच कृतं नाम युगं तात यत्रधर्मः सनातनः। कृतमेव न कर्तव्यं तस्मिन् काले युगोत्तमे॥
O child, that Yuga was called Krita when only one true eternal religion was extant. In that best of Yugas everyone had religious perfection. There was no need for performing (any) religious act.
न तत्रधर्माः सीदन्ति क्षीयन्ते न च वै प्रजाः। ततः कृतयुगं नाम कालेन गुणतां गतम्॥
Virtue then knew no decrease. It was for this reason that Yuga was called Krita (perfect). In course of time it lost all its attributes.
देवदानवगन्धर्वयक्षराक्षसपन्नगाः। नासन् कृतयुगे तात तदा न क्रयविक्रयः॥
O child, in the Krita Yuga there were no celestials, no Danavas, no Gandharvas, no Yakshas, no Rakshasas and no Nagas. There was neither buying nor selling.
न सामऋग्यजुर्वर्णाः क्रिया नासीच्च मानवी। अभिध्याय फलं तत्रधर्मः संन्यास एव च॥
The Sama, the Rick, the Vayu (Vedas) did not exist. There was no manual labour. The necessaries of life were procured only by thinking for them. The only Dharma was then renunciation.
न तस्मिन् युगसंसर्गे व्याधयो नेन्द्रियक्षयः। नासूया नापि रुदितं न दो नापि वैकृतम्॥ न विग्रहः कुतस्तन्द्री न द्वेषो न च पैशुनम्। न भयं नापि संतापो न चेा न च मत्सरः॥
In that Yuga there was neither disease nor the decay of the senses. There was neither Imalice, nor pride, nor hypocrisy nor discord, nor ill-will nor cunningness, nor fear, nor misery, nor envy, nor covetousness.
ततः परमकं ब्रह्म सा गतियोगिनां परा। आत्मा च सर्वभूतानां शुक्लो नारायणस्तदा॥
For this reason, even that chief refuge of all Yugas, the Supreme Brahma was attainable to all. The white cloth-wearing Narayana (also was the soul of all creatures,
ब्राह्मणाः क्षत्रिया वैश्याः शूद्राश्च कृतलक्षणाः। कृते युगे समभवन् स्वकर्मनिरताः प्रजाः॥
In the Krita Yuga, the distinctive characteristics of the Brahmanas, the Kshatriyas, the Vaishyas and the Sudras were the same and all men were engaged in their own respective duties.
समाश्रयं समाचारं समज्ञानं च केवलम्। तदा हि समकर्माणो वर्णाधर्मानवाप्नुवन्॥
Brahma was then the sole refuge (of all men), there manners and customs were adopted to the attainments of Brahma, the object of their knowledge was Brahina; all their acts also had reference to Brahma. Thus men of all orders obtained equal merit.
एकदेवसदायुक्ता एकमन्त्रविधिक्रियाः। पृथग्धर्मास्त्वेकवेदाधर्ममेकमनुव्रताः॥
One uniform Soul was the object of their meditation, there was but one religion and one ordinance. Though Though they had different characteristics, they followed one Veda and they had one religion.
चातुराश्रम्ययुक्तेन कर्मणा कालयोगिना। अकामफलसंयोगात् प्राप्नुवन्ति परां गतिम्॥
According to the divisions of time, they led the four modes of life without aiming at any object. Thus they obtained (final) emancipation.
आत्मयोगसमायुक्तोधर्मोऽयं कृतलक्षणः। कृते युगे चतुष्पादश्चातुर्वण्यस्य शाश्वतः॥
The sign of Krita Yuga was that the religion thian consisted of the identification of self with Brahma. In the Krita age the four orders had eternal fourfold measure.
एतत् कृतयुगं नाम त्रैगुण्यपरिवर्जितम्। त्रेतामपि निबोध त्वं यस्मिन् खत्रं प्रवर्तते।॥
Such was Krita Yuga devoid of the these qualities. Now hear from me all about the Treta Yuga in which sacrifices were introduced (in the word).
पादेन हसतेधर्मो रक्ततां याति चाच्युतः। सत्यप्रवृत्ताश्च नराः क्रियाधर्मपरायणाः॥
(In this age) virtue decreased by a quarter and Narayana assumed a red colour. Men practised truth and devoted themselves to religion and religious rites.
ततो यज्ञाः प्रवर्तन्तेधर्माश्च विविधाः क्रियाः। त्रेतायां भावसंकल्पाः क्रियादानफलोपगाः॥
Thus sacrifices were introduced and many religious rites came to be performed. In the Treta Yuga men began to devise to attain an object and they attained to it by performing (religious) acts and (giving away) gifts.
प्रचलन्ति न वैधर्मात् तपोदानपरायणाः। स्वधर्मस्थाः क्रियावन्तो नरास्त्रेतायुगेऽभवन्॥
Men never deviated from virtue and they were always engaged in asceticism and the bestowal of gifts. The four orders were devoted to their respective duties and they performed (religious) rites. Such were the men in the Treta Yuga.
द्वापरे च युगेधर्मो द्विभागोनः प्रवर्तते। विष्णुर्वै पीततां याति चतुर्धा वेद एव च॥
In the Dvapara Yuga virtue decreased by half; Vishnu assumed a yellow colour; and the Vedas became divided into four parts.
ततोऽन्ये च चतुर्वेदास्त्रिवेदाश्च तथापरे। द्विवेदाश्चैकवेदाश्चाप्यनृचश्च तथापरे॥
Then some learnt all the four Vedas; some again only three, some two and some did not know even the Rich.
एवं शास्त्रेषु भिन्नेषु बहुधा नीयते क्रिया। तपोदानप्रवृत्ता च राजसी भवति प्रजा॥
The Shastras having been thus divided, (religious) acts also (naturally) multiplied. Mostly influenced by passion, men engaged in asceticism and gifts.
एकवेदस्य चाज्ञानाद् वेदास्ते बहवः कृताः। सत्त्वस्य चेह विभ्रंशात् सत्ये कश्चिदवस्थितः॥
As men had no capacity to study the entire Veda, it came to be divided into several parts. And as the intellect (of men) deteriorated, few were devoted to truth.
सत्यात् प्रच्यवमानानां व्याधयो बहवोऽभवन्। कामाचोपद्रवाश्चैव तदा वै दैवकारिताः॥
When men fall off from truth, they become subject to various diseases, lust overtakes men and natural calamities fall on them.
यैरर्यमानाः सुभृशं तपस्तष्यन्ति मानवाः। कामकामाः स्वर्गकामा यज्ञांस्तन्वन्ति चापरे॥
Being affected by these, some then betake to asceticism. Others perform sacrifices with the desire of enjoying worldly luxuries or of obtaining heaven (and its pleasures).
एवं द्वापरमासाद्य प्रजाः क्षीयन्त्यधर्मतः। पादेनैकेन कौन्तेयधर्मः कलियुगे स्थितः॥
O son of Kunti, thus in the Dvapara age men became degenerated on account of their impiety. In the Kali Yuga, only one quarter of virtue remains.
तामसं युगमासाद्य कृष्णो भवति केशवः। वेदाचाराः प्रशाम्यन्तिधर्मयज्ञक्रियास्तथा॥
When this age appears, Keshava (Vishnu) assumes a black colour. The Vedas, the Institutes, the virtue, the sacrifices and religious observances all fall into disuse.
ईतयो व्याधयस्तन्द्री दोषाः क्रोधादयस्तथा। उपद्रवाः प्रवर्तन्ते आधयः क्षुद्भयं तथा॥
Then Ati (excessive rain), draught, rats, locusts, birds and king, diseases, lassitude, anger, deformities, natural calamities, anguish and fear of famine take possession of the world.
युगेष्वावर्तमानेषुधर्मो व्यावर्तते पुनः। धर्मे व्यावर्तमाने तु लोको व्यावर्तते पुनः॥ लोके क्षीणे क्षयं यान्ति भावा लोकप्रवर्तकाः। युगक्षयकृताधर्माः प्रार्थनानि विकुर्वते॥ एतत् कलियुगं नाम अचिराद् यत् प्रवर्तते। युगानुवर्तनं त्वेतत् कुर्वन्ति चिरजीविनः॥
As this Yuga passes on, virtue becomes daily weaker. As virtue becomes weak, all creatures degenerate. And as creatures degenerate. their nature also undergoes deterioration. The religious acts performed at this waning of the Yuga produce contrary effects. Even those who live for several Yugas must conform to their changes.
यच्च ते मत्परिज्ञाने कौतूहलमरिंदम। अनर्थकेषु को भावः पुरुषस्य विजानतः॥
O chastiser of foes, as regards your curiosity to know me, I tell you this, why should a wise man be eager to learn a superfluous thing?
एतत् ते सर्वमाख्यातं यन्मां त्वं परिपृच्छसि। युगसंख्यां महाबाहो स्वस्ति प्राप्नुहि गम्यताम्॥
O mighty-armed hero, I have thus told you all that you asked me about the different Yugas. May good come to you. Now return.