०८ युगेषु धर्मकलाः

In the Kṛta Cycle Virtue exists in its perfect form, with all its four feet; and so does Truth;—No benefit accrues to men by vice—(81).

चत्वारः पादा यस्य चतुष्पाद् धर्मः । यागादेश् च धर्मत्वात् तस्य चानुष्ठेयस्वभावत्वाद् विग्रहाभावान् न पादशब्दः शरीरावयववचनः, किं तर्हि, अंशमात्रवचनः । न हि धर्मस्य शरीरम् अस्ति पुरुषविधं पशुपक्ष्यादिविधं वा । तेन स्वांशैश् चतुर्भिर् उपेतश् चतुष्पाद् उच्यते । तेन यो ऽयं धर्मः चतुष्पात् सकलः कृतयुग आसीत् । यागस्य तावत् प्रयोगावस्थस्य चत्वारो होतृकाः, होता ब्रह्मा उद्गाता अध्वर्युर् इति । चत्वारो वर्णाः कर्तार आश्रमा वा । सर्वथा यावान् वेदे धर्म उक्तः स सर्वस् तस्मिन् काले ऽंशतो ऽपि न हीनः अविगुणः सर्वो ऽनुष्ठीयते । बाहुल्येन चतुःसंख्या । एवं दानादिष्व् अपि योज्यम्- दाता द्रव्यं पात्रं भावतुष्टिः । अथ वा यागदानतपांसि ज्ञानं च । तथा वक्ष्यति “तपः परम्” (म्ध् १.८६) इति ।

• अथ वा धर्मप्रतिपादकं वाक्यं धर्मः । तस्य च चत्वारः पादाः चत्वारि पदजातानि । नामाख्याते चोपसर्गनिपाताश् च । तथा चाह-

• चत्वारि वाक्परिमिता पदानि तानि विदुर् ब्राह्मणा ये मनीषिणः । (र्व् १.१६४.४५अब्)

मनस ईषिणः (पत् इ- ३) समर्था विद्वांसो धार्मिकाः । अद्यत्वे तु-

• गुहा¹ त्रीणि निहिता² नेङ्गयन्ति (र्व् १.१६४.४५च्)

न हि प्रकाशन्ते ।

• तुरीयं वाचं³ मनुष्या वदन्ति (र्व् १.१६४.४५द्) ॥

चतुर्थं भागं वैदिका⁴ मनुष्या वदन्ति ।⁵ एतद् उक्तं भवति- आदौ न वेदवाक्यं⁶ किंचिद् अन्तरितम्, न च काचिद् वेदशाखा । अद्यत्वे तु बह्वन्तरितम् ।

• सत्यं चैवं सकलम् इत्य् अनुषङ्गः । सत्य् अपि सत्यस्य विहितत्वाद् धर्मत्वे, प्राधान्यार्थं⁷ पृथग् उपदेशः, हेत्वर्थे वा । सकलस्य धर्मानुष्ठानस्य सत्यं हेतुः । ये त्व् अनृतिनस् ते लोकावर्जनार्थं किंचिद् अनुतिष्ठन्ति, अन्यत् त्यजन्ति ।

• नाधर्मेण⁸ निषिद्धेन मार्गेण कश्चिद् आगमो विद्या वार्थो वानुष्ठातुर्⁹ उपवर्तते आगच्छति, युगस्वाभाव्यात् । न मनुष्या अधर्मेण विद्याम् आगमयन्ति, नापि धनम् अर्जयन्ति । विद्याधने धर्मानुष्ठानकारणे, तत्परिशुद्धिः सकलधर्मसद्भावस्य हेतुत्वेनानेनोच्यते¹⁰ ॥ १.८१ ॥

Virtue is that which has “four feet.” What constitutes ‘virtue’ is the action of sacrifice and the like; and as this latter is something to he performed, it has no body; hence the word ‘feet’ in the text cannot be taken as denoting the part of a body; it stands for ‘part’ or ‘factor.’ As a matter of fact, Virtue has no body, either like men or like birds and animals. Hence what is meant by Virtue having all its ‘four feet’ is that it is equipped with all its four factors. The meaning of the text thus is that such virtue as is perfect and equipped with its four factors existed in the Kṛta Cycle.—[The ‘four factors’ are now illustrated]—At the sacrifice, when it is in course of performance, there are four priests—viz., the ‘Hotṛ,’ the ‘Brahman,’ the ‘Udgātṛ’ and the ‘Adhvaryu’;—of the performers there are four castes, or four life-stages. ‘Virtue’ as it is described in the Veda was performed during that cycle in its entire and perfect form; i.e., it was not deficient in even the smallest factor, and it was not wanting in any of its details. The number ‘four’ is applicable to Virtue in many ways. For instance, in the case of the action of ‘giving’ also, there is the giver, the thing given, the recipient and his satisfaction. Or the ‘four factors’ of Virtue may be sacrifice, charity, austerity, and knowledge. This would he in accordance with what is going to be described in verse 86 as regards ‘Austerity’ being the chief virtue in the Kṛta age.

Or, the term ‘Dharma’ ‘Virtue’ in the text, may be taken as standing for the words descriptive of Virtue; and of such words the ‘four feet’ are the four kinds of words—Nouns, Verbs, Prepositions and Indeclinables. This is thus declared in Ṛgveda 1.164.45—‘There are four words contained in speech, these the wise Brāhmaṇas know’—(in this passage) the epithet ‘manīsiṇaḥ,’ ‘wise,’ stands for those ‘who are of powerful minds,’ i.e., learned, virtuous;—(the passage goes on) ‘these, placed in the cave, do not appear to view,’—i.e., are not perceptible—‘the fourth speech people speak’—the fourth, people versed in the Veda speak. The meaning of this passage is that—‘in the beginning, no Vedic sentence was hidden from view, nor was any Vedic Rescensional Text lost, while now a days, much has become lost.’

‘So does truth,’—that is, truth also exsists in its perfect form. Though truth also, being what is prescribed in the Veda, is a ‘virtue’ (and as such already included in the latter term), yet it has been separately mentioned with a view to show its special importance, or to indicate that it forms the basis of all virtues, the performance of ‘virtue’ in its entire form is based upon truth; and those who are untruthful, perform, for the purpose of gaining popularity, only a part of what constitutes ‘virtue’ and ignore the rest of it.

‘By vice’—i.e., by following the prohibited path ,—‘no benefit’—in the shape of either learning or wealth,—‘accrues’—comes—to the performer; this is by virtue of the special character of the age. (During that age) men do not acquire learning, nor do they earn wealth, by vicious means. Learning and wealth are the means by which virtuous acts are performed; hence when it is said that these are pure, what is meant is that this is what tends to virtue being performed in its entire and perfect form—(81).

Dharma with its ‘four feet’ is a common idea in Hinduism. In VIII. 16 we have the picture of Dharma as a ‘bull’; its ‘four feet’ have been variously identified:—(a) according to Medhātithi, they represent the four principal sacrificial priests—Adhvaryu, Hotṛ, Brahman and Udgātṛ;—(b) he also suggests, along with Nandana, that they may stand for the four castes;—(c) they have been held by Medhātithi, Kullūka and Nārāyaṇa to stand for the four means of acquiring merit—Tapas, Jñāna, Yajña and Dāna;—(d) and last, they have been identified by Medhātithi with the four kinds of speech described in Ṛgveda 1.164.45—‘Three being hidden in the cave and the fourth being spoken by men.’

‘Satyam’—Though included in ‘Dharma,’ this has been mentioned separately, for the purpose of showing its special importance. The Aparārka (p. 1012) quotes the first line of this verse as showing the diverse character of the various cycles.—The verse is quoted in the Vīramitrodaya—Parībhāṣā, p. 50.

**(Verse 81-86)
**

Mahābhārata, 12.231.23-28.—(Same as Manu.)

081 In the Krita age Dharma is four-footed and entire, and (so is) Truth; nor does any gain accrue to men by unrighteousness.

In the other Cycles, virtue fell off from the scriptures, foot by foot; and on account of theft, falsehood and fraud, virtuous acts deteriorated foot by foot—(82).

कृतयुगाद् अन्येषु युगेष्व् आगमद् वेदाख्याद् धर्मः पादशः युगे युगे पादेन्आवरोपितो व्यपनीतः । अन्तर्हिता¹¹ वेदशाखाः,¹² पुरुषाणां ग्रहणावधारणशक्तिवैकल्यात् । यो ऽप्य् अद्यत्वे धर्मो ज्योतिष्टोमादिः प्रचरति सो ऽपि चौर्यादिभिः पादशो हीयते । ऋत्विजां यजमानानां दातॄणां संप्रदानानां चैतैर् दोषैर् युक्तत्वान् न यथाविधि धर्मो निष्पद्यते । फलम् अतो यथोक्तं न प्राप्यते¹³ । तेन धर्मापायहेतूनां चौरिकादीनां न युगैर् यथासंख्यं संबन्धः,¹⁴ सर्वेषाम् अद्योपलम्भात् ॥ १.८२ ॥

In the Cycles other than the Kṛta;—‘from the scriptures,’ called ‘Veda’;—‘virtue’—‘foot by foot’—by one foot in each succeeding Cycle,—‘fell off,’ was carried away;—the Vedic Texts disappeared, by reason of the deterioration in the powers of learning and assimilating of men (le arning the texts).

The ‘virtuous acts’—in the form of the Jyotiṣṭoma and other sacrifices, that are performed now a days,—these also ‘deteriorated foot by foot’ on account of ‘theft’ &c. i.e., since Priests, Sacrifices, Bestowers and Recipients of gifts, are all beset with the said evils, the virtuous act is not accomplished in the proper manner, and hence the result mentioned (as accruing from that act) also is not attained. In as much as this is the real meaning, we do not take ‘theft’ and the rest as applied to each of the three Cycles respectively; specially as all of them (theft &c.,) are found prevalent even now a days (in Kali)—(82).

This verse also has been variously interpreted:—(a) According to Medhātithi it means that during the Tretā, Dvāpara, and Kali cycles, ‘Dharma fell off from the scriptures, foot by foot, and that there was deterioration foot by foot in the fruit of Dharma also,—the reason for this latter fact lying in the prevalence of theft, falsehood and fraud during all these three cycles’; and he emphasises the fact that theft eta, are not to be token as pertaining to the three cycles respectively;—(b) according to Kullūka, Nārāyaṇa and Rāghavānanda, the meaning is that during the three cycles, by reason of unjust gains (‘āgamāt’) Dharma successively loses one foot etc., eta;—(c) Govindarāja agrees with Medhātithi, hut with this difference that he appears to favour the view that the deterioration in the results of acts is due to theft, falsehood and fraud respectively,—the view that has been repudiated by Medhātithi;—(d) according to Nandana—‘it having been declared in the preceding verse that in the Kṛta-cycle there were no scriptures, it is now said that during the other three cycles, Dharma is determined by the scriptures,—and it diminishes successively in each age by one quarter.’

This verse is quoted in the Vīramitrodaya—Paribhāṣā, p. 50.

**(Verse 81-86)
**

See Comparative notes for [Verse 1.81 (Dharma in the Kṛta-yuga)].

082 In the other (three ages), by reason of (unjust) gains (agama), Dharma is deprived successively of one foot, and through (the prevalence of) theft, falsehood, and fraud the merit (gained by men) is diminished by one fourth (in each).

During the Kṛta Cycle, men are free from disease, they have all their aims fulfilled, and their life lasts trhough four hundred years;—During the Tretā and other Cycles, their life becomes shortened, quarter by quarter.—(83).

अधर्मस्य रोगकारणस्याभावाद् अरोगाः । रोगो व्याधिः । सर्व एव चत्वारो वर्णाः सिद्धाभिप्रेतार्थाः । अर्थः प्रयोजनम् । अथ वा सर्वे ऽर्थाः सिद्धाः येषां काम्यानां कर्मणाम् । प्रतिबन्धकाभावाद् अव्याक्षेपेणाशेषफलसिद्धिः । चतुर्वर्षशतायुष इति ।

• ननु “स ह षोडशं वर्षशतम् अजीवत्” (छु ३.१६.७) इति परमम् आयुर्वेदे श्रूयते । अत एवाहुः- वर्षशतशब्दो ऽत्र वयोऽवस्थाप्रतिपादकः,¹⁵ चत्वारि वयांसि जीवन्तीति, न पुरायुषः प्रमीयण्ते, नाप्राप्य चतुर्थं वयो म्रियन्ते । अत एव द्वितीये श्लोकार्धे वयो ह्रसतीत्य् आह । पूर्वत्र वयसो वृद्धाव् उक्तायाम्¹⁶ उत्तरत्र तस्यैवं¹⁷ ह्रासाभिधानोपपत्तिः । पादश इति । न चात्र चतुर्थो भगः पादः, किं तर्हि, भागमात्रम् । अंशत आयुः क्षीयते इत्य् अर्थः । तथा च केचिद् बाला म्रियन्ते, केचित् तरुणाः, केचित् प्राप्तजरसः । परिपूर्णम् आयुर् दुर्लभम् ॥ १.८३ ॥

By reason of the absence of vice, which is the cause of disease, men are ‘free from disease’; ‘disease’stands for sickness.—‘All,’ the four castes, have their desired purposes accomplished; ‘aim’ stands for purpose; or (it may mean) the results following from all their acts with purposes are duly obtained; on account of the absence of obstacles, all result are obtained without fail.

‘Their life lasts through four hundred years’—“But we find the highest age described as 1600 years, in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad (3.16.7), where it is said ‘he lived for sixteen hundred years’.”

It is in view of this that it has been held that the term ‘hundred years’ here stands for the stages of life; the meaning thus being that ‘they live through all the four stages of life,’—man’s life is never shortened, they never die without having reached the fourth stage. That such is the meaning is shown by the fact that in the second half of the verse we have the assertion ‘vayo hrasati,’ ‘life becomes shortened’; this subsequent mention of the ‘shorterning of life’ would have some point only if the ‘lengthening of life’ were spoken of in the preceding sentence.

‘Quarter by quarter’—the term ‘quarter’ here does not stand for the fourth part, it stands only for part; the meaning being that ‘man’s life becomes shortened in part’, i.e. some die while they are young children, others on reaching youth, and others on attaining old age; and the full span of life is difficult to attain.—(83)

‘Quarter by quarter’—The natural meaning is that men lived for 400 years during Kṛta, 300 years during Tretā, 200 years during Dvāpara and 100 years during Kali But in view of the assertion in the Chāndogya Upaniṣad of a man having lived for 1600 years (3.16.17) Medhātithi has been forced to remark that ‘quarter’ here stands for part, and not for the precise fourth part, and to explain the text to mean that ‘man’s life becomes shortened in part; some die while they are young children, others on reaching youth and others on attaining old age.’

The Aparārka (p. 1012) quotes the first line in support of the view that each cycle has a distinct character of its own.

**(Verse 81-86)
**

See Comparative notes for [Verse 1.81 (Dharma in the Kṛta-yuga)].

083 (Men are) free from disease, accomplish all their aims, and live four hundred years in the Krita age, but in the Treta and (in each of) the succeeding (ages) their life is lessened by one quarter.

The full age of mortals spoken of in the Veda, the results of actions and the powers of embodied beings,—are obtained in accordance with the character of the Cycle.—(84)

yadi pañca pañāśataḥ ‘trivṛtaḥ’ (i. e., the three days of the Gavāmayana), na saṃvatsarāḥ | yadi saṃvatsarāḥ ‘trivṛtaḥ’, na pañcapañcāśataḥ | tasmāt virodhādanyatarad gauṇam |

• तद् अपरे नाद्रियन्ते । यतो दीर्घसत्त्रेषु संवत्सरशब्दे दिवसेषु व्यवस्थापिते (च्ड़्। प्म्स् ६.७.३१–४०) विधेयान्तरविरोधाद् वाक्यभेदापत्तेः । एष हि तत्र ग्रन्थः- “पञ्चपञ्चाशतस् त्रिवृतः संवत्सराः” (त्ब् ३.१२.९.८) इत्यादि । तत्र त्रीण्य अहानि गवांअयनप्रकृतित्वात् प्राप्तानि । विशिष्टा तु संख्या¹⁸ पञ्चपञ्चाशत इत्य् अप्राप्तत्वाद् विधेया¹⁹ । यद्य् अपरा संवत्सरता प्रतीयेत वाक्यं भिद्येत । तत्रावश्यम् अन्यतरस्यानुवाद आश्रयितव्यः । संवत्सरशब्दः सौरसावनादिमान् अभेदेन षष्ट्यधिकशतत्रयात्मनो ऽहःसंघाताद् अन्यत्रापि दृष्टप्रयोग एवेति । तस्यैव लक्षणया दिवसेष्व् अनुवादो युक्त इति ।

• अन्ये तु मन्त्रार्थवादेषु “शतम् इन् नु शरदो ऽन्ति देवाः” (र्व् १.८९.९), “शतायुर् वै पुरुषः” (क्स् ३४.५) इति शतशब्दश् च बहुनामसु पठितः, बहुत्वं चानवस्थितम् । युगानुरूपेण दीर्घजीविनो ऽल्पायुषश् च भवन्ति । यथाश्रुतव्याख्याने तु कलौ सर्वे शतायुषश् च भवन्ति । अथ वा आयुःकामस्य यानि कर्माणि, न च तत्र प्रमाणं श्रुतम्, तत्रानुयुगं परिमाणं वेद्यम् ।

• आशिषः । अन्या अपि फलविषया वेदशासनाः । काम्यानां कर्मणाम् । आयुषः काम्यत्वे ऽपि प्राधान्यात् पृथगुपदेशः । तथा ह्य् आह- “आयुर् वै परमः कामः” । प्रभावः अलौकिकी शक्तिः, अणिमादिगुणयोगः, अभिशाप्ः, वरदानम् । अनुयुगं फलन्तीति सर्वत्र योज्यम् ॥ १.८४ ॥

Some people offer the following explanation:—What is meant ‘the age spoken of in the Veda’ is the age of a thousand years and so forth, which is indicated by the Veda prescribing such rites as are mentioned as extending over ‘thousand years’; and this age is ‘obtained’, reached, only in accordance with the nature of the Cycle, and not in all Cycle; for instance, now-a-days no one ever lives for ‘thousand years’ he who lives long, lives for a hundred years.

There are others who do not accept this explanation, and for the following reasons:—It has been decided (under Mīmāmsā-Sutras 6. 7.31-40) that when the term ‘year’ occurs in the Veda in connection with the long sacrificial sessions, it stands for ‘days’; so that if something else (in the shape of years) were taken as enjoined, then there would he an inconsistency, and this would lead to the ‘splitting of the sentence’;—the text in connection with the subject is in the form ‘pañcapañc??hatah tṛvṛtaḥ samvatsarāḥ’, ‘the fifty-five trios, years’ (literally); now hero what is definitely indicated by the context is that the term ‘trio’ stands for the three days of the ??vāmayana Sacrifice; so that it is in regard to these that the particular number (Fifty-five) is laid down; under the circumstances, if the sentence, by virtue of the term ‘Samvatsarāḥ’, ‘years’, were taken as laying down the further unknown fact? the said (trios) being ‘years’,—then there would be a?it in the sentence; in order to avoid this, it becomes necessary to take one or the other of the words as merely reite??ive (not injunctive);—now

as regards the term ‘Samvatsara’, ‘year’, we find that, on the basis of diverse calculations, known as the ‘Saura’, the ‘Sāvana’ and so forth, it is often used in a sense other than that of a collection of exactly three hundred and sixty day; so that it is only right that this term (and not the term ‘fifty-five’) should be taken figuratively, as being descriptive of ‘days’.

Others again argue as follows:—Among the Mantra and Arthavāda texts of the Veda we find such egressions as—‘The gods live for a hundred years’, ‘the man’s life is of hundred years’, and so forth,—where the term ‘hundred’ is found used in the sense of ‘many’ and ‘man’ is purely indefinite; hence the meaning (of our text,) is that ‘men are short-lived or long-lived according to the Cycle’.—If the verse were taken in its literal sense, it would mean that during Kali all men live for a hundred years, and this would not be true],—Or, it may mean that the exact extent of ‘full age’—which is found mentioned as the result of sacrifices performed by the man desiring full age—being nowhere defined the extent should be taken as determined by the character of the particular Cycle.

‘Results’—i.e., the things desired as results. described in the Veda, proceeding from acts performed with a purpose.—Though ‘full age’ also is a desired result, yet it has been mentioned separately in view of its importance; as declared in such words as—‘Full age is the highest desirable object’.

‘Power’—i.e. the superphysio faculties, consisting in being equipped with aṇimā (the faculty of becoming as small as one likes) and such other faculties’,—or in the form of ability to pronounce effective curses, as? bestowing effective boons

‘Are obtained in accordance with the character of the Cycle’—this has to be construed with all (three phrases)—(84).

Medhātithi (p. 39, l. 5)—‘Dīrghasatreṣu’—Sec Mīmāṃsā-Sūtra 6.7.31-40 and Śabara on 6.7.7—

yadi pañca pañāśataḥ ‘trivṛtaḥ’ (i. e., the three days of the Gavāmayana), na saṃvatsarāḥ | yadi saṃvatsarāḥ ‘trivṛtaḥ’, na pañcapañcāśataḥ | tasmāt virodhādanyatarad gauṇam |

This is the virodha mentioned by Medhātithi in line (6] Which of the two is to be taken as gauṇa is explained by Śabara on 6.7.38, where the conclusion is that the term saṃvatsara should be regarded as gauṇa.

Medhātithi ( p. 39, l. 12 )—Śataśabdaśca bahunāmasu pāṭhitaḥ’—e.g., Kauṣītaki Upaniṣad 2. 11; Īśā Upaniṣad 2; Mahānarāyaṇa Upaniṣad 6,—in addition to the passages quoted by Medhātithi himself.

**(Verse 81-86)
**

See Comparative notes for [Verse 1.81 (Dharma in the Kṛta-yuga)].

084 The life of mortals, mentioned in the Veda, the desired results of sacrificial rites and the (supernatural) power of embodied (spirits) are fruits proportioned among men according to (the character of) the age.

During the Kṛta-cycle, the characteristics of men are of one kind,—of different kinds during the Tretā and the dvāpara,—and of yet another kind during the Kali-cycle;—this being due to the deterioration of each suceeding Cycle.—(85)

उक्तस्य²⁰ कालभेदेन पदार्थस्वभावबेदस्योपसंहारः । धर्मशब्दो न यागादिवचन एव, किं तर्हि, पदार्थगुणमात्रे वर्तते । अन्ये पदार्थानां धर्माः प्रतियुगं भवन्ति, यथा प्राक् दर्शितम् । यथा वसन्ते ऽन्यः पदार्थानां स्वभावो ऽन्यो ग्रीष्मे ऽन्य एव वर्षासु, एवं युगेष्व् अपि । अन्यत्वं चात्र न कारणानां दृष्टकार्यत्यागेन कार्यान्तरजनकत्वम्, अप्य् त्व्²¹ अपरिपूर्णस्य कार्यस्योत्पत्तेः शक्तेर् अपचयात् । तद् आह- युगह्रासानुरूपत इति । ह्रासो न्यूनता ॥ १.८५ ॥

This verse sums up what has been said in regard to the diversity in the nature of things based upon the difference in time.

The word ‘Dharma’ here is not restricted to the sense of sacrifice and such other acts (prescribed by the Veda); it stands for the characteristic of things in general. The meaning thus is that in each Cycle, the character of things varies, as shown before (in verses 83 and 84); just as, for instance, the character of things during the Spring is of one kind, of a different kind during the Summer, and of yet another kind during the Rains,—so it is in connection with the Cycles also.

By ‘difference’ it is not meant that things cease to bring about effects that they are found (at one time) to produce, and bring about other effects; what is meant is that they become incapable of bringing about their complete effects; and this by reason of the decrease in their potency. This is what is meant by the phrase—‘this being due to the deterioration of each succeeding Cycle,’—‘deterioration’ meaning inferiority.—(85).

Buhler translates the verse to mean that the diversity of Dharma is due to the decrease in the length of the yugas. This however is not countenanced by any of the commentators, all of whom agree that the said diversity is due to the relative inferiority of fine age to the other.

Medhātithi’s interpretation of 85 is not quite consistent with what follows in 86; but he has taken care to disconnect 85 from 86; he distinctly says that what is said in 86 is a ‘diversity in the character of the yugas’ distinct from what has been set forth in 85. Really this is made clear by the fact that in 85, the word ‘Dharma’ stands, according to Medhātithi, not for duty, but for characteristic.

This verse is quoted in Hemādri—Pariśeṣa—Kāla, p. 657;—and in the Smṛticandrikā—Saṃskāra, p. 27.

**(Verse 81-86)
**

See Comparative notes for [Verse 1.81 (Dharma in the Kṛta-yuga)].

085 One set of duties (is prescribed) for men in the Krita age, different ones in the Treta and in the Dvapara, and (again) another (set) in the Kali, in a proportion as (those) ages decrease in length.

In the Kṛta Cycle, ‘Austerity’ is the highest; in the Tretā ‘knowledge’ is described as such; in the Dvāpara they call the ‘Sacrifice’ the highest, and ‘Charity’ alone in the Kali-Cycle—(86).

अयम् अन्यो युगस्वभावभेदः कथ्यते । तपःप्रभृतीनां वेदे युगभेदेन विधानाभावात् सर्वदा सर्वाण्य् अनुष्ठेयानि । अयं त्व् अनुवादो यथा कथंचिद् व्याख्येयः²² । इतिहासेषु ह्य् एवं वर्ण्यते । **तपः **प्रधानं तच् च महाफलम् । दीर्घायुषो रोगवर्जितास् तपसि समर्था भवन्ति । अनेनाभिप्रायेणोच्यते । ज्ञानम् अध्यात्मविषयम् । शरीरक्लेशाद् अन्तर्नियमो नातिदुष्करः । यागे तु न महाक्लेश इति द्वापरे यज्ञः प्रधानम् । दाने तु न शरीरक्लेशः, नान्तःसंयमः, न चातीव विद्वतोपयुज्यत इति सुसंपादता²³ ॥ १.८६ ॥

Another difference in the character of the Cycles is now described.

As a matter of fact, Austerity and the other Virtues are not prescribed in the Veda with reference to any particular Cycle, all of them should be performed at all times; hence the description contained in the present verse has got to be explained somehow or other. In fact it is in the Itihāsas that the distinction herein set forth is met with. [When ‘Austerity’ is relegated to the Kṛta Cycle] what is meant is that it is the principal—and hence the most effective—Virtue cultivated; and the men being longlived and free from disease are most capable of performing Austerities.

‘Knowledge’—i.e. of spiritual matters. Though the men [being not quite so healthy in the Tretā as in the Kṛta ], suffer in the body, yet this bodily suffering does not render the internal discipline (necessary for spiritual knowledge) very difficult.

In as much as there is not much trouble in the performance of Sacrifices, sacrifice forms the chief virtue in Dvāpara.

In Charity, there is neither physical suffering, nor need for internal discipline or much learning; hence it is easily done.—(86)

This verse is quoted in Hemādri—Pariśeṣa—Kāla, p. 657, where ‘Tapas’ is explained as ‘Kṛcchra, Cāndrāyaṇa etc.,’ and ‘jñāna’ as ‘dhyāna’ ‘meditation’;—in the Vīramitrodaya—Paribhāṣā, p. 48;—in the Smṛticandrikā—Samskāra, p. 27, which explains ‘par am’ as ‘the most important;’—and in the Kṛtyasārsamuccaya, p. 80.

**(Verse 81-86)
**

See Comparative notes for [Verse 1.81 (Dharma in the Kṛta-yuga)].

086 In the Krita age the chief (virtue) is declared to be (the performance of) austerities, in the Treta (divine) knowledge, in the Dvapara (the performance of) sacrifices, in the Kali liberality alone.