06.011
Library: Epochs, life span, and characteristics of people.
Dhritarashtra said:
O Sūta, please tell us about the measure of life, the auspicious and inauspicious results of this year in India and the Himalayas.
O Sanjaya, please narrate to me in detail about the past, present, and future, as well as about the region of Harivarsa.
Sanjaya said:
In the land of Bharata, there are four epochs known as Krita, Treta, Dvapara, and Pusya, O noble descendant of the Bharatas and enhancer of the Kuru dynasty.
First comes the Krita Yuga, followed by the Treta Yuga, O Lord. In brief, after the Dvapara Yuga, the Pusya period begins.
In the Krita Yuga, the lifespan is counted as four thousand years, O noble Kuru and esteemed king.
O ruler of men, in the Treta Yuga, the lifespan was three thousand years, in the Dvapara Yuga, it was two thousand, but now it remains a hundred.
O best of the Bharatas, there is no certainty during the time of Puṣya. Both the unborn and the born meet their end here.
In the Krita age, O king, great sages with immense strength and qualities of progeny were born, who were rich in austere penance.
In the Krita Yuga, O king, there were born individuals who were greatly enthusiastic, noble in spirit, righteous, and truthful. They were wealthy and pleasing to behold.
In the Treta Yuga, long-lived, great heroes and excellent archers are born as warriors and emperors, showcasing their bravery in battles.
In the Dvapara age, all classes of people are born with great enthusiasm and strength, seeking to destroy one another, O great king.
O King Bharata, men who are endowed with little brilliance, are angry, greedy, and deceitful, are born in the month of Pushya.
O Bhārata, jealousy, pride, anger, deceit, and envy arise in mortals during prosperity, leading to attachment and greed.
In this Dvapara Yuga, O King, there is a summary, O ruler of men. Himavat is superior in qualities, and beyond that is Harivarsa.
