Mahabharata · Book 6 · Bhishma Parva
Mahabharata, Book 6, Section Xभीष्मपर्व
Kisari Mohan Ganguli’s English prose (1883–96), beside the Sanskrit of adhyāya 6.10.
Sanskrit
भारतस्यास्य वर्षस्य तथा हैमवतस्य च।
प्रमाणमायुषः सूत बलं चापि शुभाशुभम् ।।
अनागतमतिक्रान्तं वर्तमानं च संजय ।
आचक्ष्व मे विस्तरेण हरिवर्षं तथैव च ।।
संजय उवाच।
चत्वारि भारते वर्षे युगानि भरतर्षभ।
कृतं त्रेता द्वापरं च तिष्यं च कुरुवर्धन ।।
पूर्वं कृतयुगं नाम ततस्रेतायुगं प्रभो ।
संक्षेपाद्द्वापरस्याथ ततस्तिष्यं प्रवर्तते ।।
चत्वारि तु सहस्राणि वर्षाणां कुरुसत्तम।
आयुःसंख्या कृतयुगे संख्याता राजसत्तम ।।
तथा त्रीणि सहस्राणि त्रेतायां मनुजाधिप ।
द्वे सहस्रे द्वापरे तु भुवि तिष्ठन्ति सांप्रतम् ।।
न प्रमाणस्थितिर्ह्यस्ति तिष्येऽस्मिन्भरतर्षभ ।
गर्भस्थाश्च म्रियन्तेऽत्र तथा जाता म्रियन्ति च ।।
महाबला महासत्वाः प्रज्ञागुणसमन्विताः।
प्रजायन्ते च जाताश्च शतशोऽथ सहस्रशः ।।
जाताः कृतयुगे राजन्धनिनः प्रयदर्शनाः ।
प्रजायन्ते च जाताश्च मुनयो वै तपोधनाः ।।
महोत्साहा महात्मानो धार्मिकाः सत्यवादिनः।
प्रियदर्शना वपुष्मन्तो महावीर्या धनुर्धराः ।।
वरार्हा युधि जायन्ते क्षत्रियाः शूरसत्तमाः।
त्रेतायां क्षत्रिया राजन्सर्वे वै चक्रवर्तिनः ।।
सर्ववर्णाश्च जायन्ते सदा चैव च द्वापरे ।
महोत्साहा वीर्यवन्तः परस्परजयैषिणः ।।
तेजसाल्पेन संयुक्ताः क्रोधनाः पुरुषा नृप।
लुब्धा अनृतकाश्चैव तिष्ये जायन्ति भारत ।।
ईर्ष्या मानस्तथा क्रोधो मायाऽसूया तथैव च।
तिष्ये भवति भूतानां रागो लोभश्च भारत ।।
संक्षेपो वर्तते राजन्द्वापरेऽस्मिन्नराधिप ।
गुणोत्तरं हैमवतं हरिवर्षं ततः परम् ।।
।। इति श्रीमन्महाभारते भीष्मपर्वणि
जम्बूखण्डविनिर्माणपर्वणि दशमोऽध्यायः।।
English Ganguli
“Dhritarashtra said,—‘Tell me, O Sanjaya, of the period of life, the strength, the good and bad things, the future, past and present, of the residents, O Suta, of this Varsha of Bharata, and of the Himavat-varsha, as also of Hari-varsha, in detail.’
“Sanjaya said,—‘O bull of Bharata’s race, four Yugas set in Bharata’s Varsha, viz., Krita, Treta, Dwapara, and Kali. The Yuga that sets in first is Krita, O Lord; after the expiry of Krita comes Treta; after expiry of Treta comes Dwapara; and after that last of all, sets in Kali. Four thousand years, O best of the Kurus, are reckoned as the measure of life, O best of kings, in the Krita epoch. Three thousand years is the period in Treta, O ruler of men. At present in Dwapara, persons live on Earth for two thousand years. In Kali, however, O bull of Bharata’s race, there is no fixed limit of life’s measure, in so much that men die while in the womb, as also soon after birth. In the Krita age, O king, men are born and beget children, by hundreds and thousands, that are of great strength and great power, endued with the attribute of great wisdom, and possessed of wealth and handsome features. In that age are born and begotten Munis endued with wealth of asceticism, capable of great exertion, possessed of high souls, and virtuous, and truthful in speech. The Kshatriyas also, born in that age are of agreeable features, able-bodied, possessed of great energy, accomplished in the use of the bow, highly skilled in battle and exceedingly brave. In the Treta age, O king, all the Kshatriya kings were emperors ruling from sea to sea. In Treta are begotten brave Kshatriyas not subject to any one, endued with long lives, possessed of heroism, and wielding the bow in battle with great skill. When Dwapara sets in, O king, all the (four) orders born become capable of great exertion, endued with great energy, and desirous of conquering one another. The men born in Kali, O king, are endued with little energy, highly wrathful, covetous, and untruthful. Jealousy, pride, anger, deception, malice and covetousness, O Bharata, are the attributes of creatures in the Kali age. The portion that remains, O king, of this the Dwapara age, is small, O ruler of men. The Varsha known as Haimavat is superior to Bharatavarsha, while Harivarsha is superior to Hainavatvarsha, in respect of all qualities.’"