Tirthayatra Parva — The colloquy between Hanuman and Bhimasena in Kadali forest

Vaishampayana said : Having been thus addressed, the mighty armed and greatly powerful Bhimasena cheerfully bowed down his head to his brother Hanuman.

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.

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.

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.

I shall be then satisfied and I shall have faith in your words.” Having been thus addressed, that greatly powerful one smilingly thus replied,

"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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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,

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.

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.

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.

According to the divisions of time, they led the four modes of life without aiming at any object. Thus they obtained (final) emancipation.

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.

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).

(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.

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.

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.

In the Dvapara Yuga virtue decreased by half; Vishnu assumed a yellow colour; and the Vedas became divided into four parts.

Then some learnt all the four Vedas; some again only three, some two and some did not know even the Rich.

The Shastras having been thus divided, (religious) acts also (naturally) multiplied. Mostly influenced by passion, men engaged in asceticism and gifts.

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.

When men fall off from truth, they become subject to various diseases, lust overtakes men and natural calamities fall on them.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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.