Hanuman Describes the Four Yugas to Bhima

Bhima had found his brother Hanuman at last — the great monkey who had once leaped across the ocean, who now lay coiled on the ground like a mountain of cloud, blocking the path through the forest. They had spoken. Hanuman had revealed himself. And now Bhima, still standing before him, asked about the yugas — the ages of the world. Hanuman answered. "Krita is the yuga when dharma is eternal," he said. "In that age, supreme among yugas, there are no deeds to be done. Dharma knows no decay. Nor are beings destroyed. That is why this yuga is called krita — the accomplished, the perfect." In Krita, there are no gods, demons, gandharvas (celestial musicians), yakshas (nature spirits), rakshasas (demons), or serpents. There is no buying or selling. The sounds of the Rig, Sama, and Yajur Vedas do not exist. Nor do rites, or manual labour. Whatever one thinks of, the desired fruits appear. The only dharma is sannyasa — renunciation. There is no disease, no decay of the senses, no discontentment, no lamentation, no insolence, no wickedness, no strife, no laziness, no enmity, no distortion, no fear, no sorrow, no envy, no jealousy. The supreme brahman — the ultimate reality, the goal of all yogis — and the white Narayana dwell in the souls of all beings. Brahmanas, kshatriyas, vaishyas, and shudras are all auspiciously marked and equal in deportment. All follow one Veda, one dharma. They perform tasks without seeking fruits and attain the supreme objective. "Now hear about Treta yuga," Hanuman said. Sacrifices were introduced then. Dharma decayed by one quarter. Achyuta — the infallible one, Narayana — assumed a red complexion. Men were addicted to the truth and devoted to the dharma of rituals. Sacrifices and many rituals became part of dharma, motivated by reasons and performed for the fruits they would bring. People never deviated from the path of dharma and were devoted to austerities and donations. "In Dvapara yuga, dharma decays by half. Vishnu assumes a yellow complexion. There are four Vedas. Some people know four Vedas. Others know three, or two, or one. Still others know no hymns. The sacred texts are divided into many parts. There are many rituals. Beings are engaged in austerities and donations because of their passions. Because the single Veda is no longer known, the Vedas have been divided. There has been a deviation from the truth. Only a few are established in the truth. When one deviates from the truth, one becomes prey to many diseases. One resorts to desire. There are many natural disasters. Being afflicted, some men resort to terrible austerities. Others, motivated by a desire to attain heaven, resort to deeds. Thus, having attained Dvapara, beings decay because they are no longer devoted to dharma." "O Kounteya! Only one quarter of dharma remains in Kali yuga. When this yuga arrives, Keshava's complexion becomes black. The rituals of the Vedas, dharma, sacrifices, and deeds fall into disuse. There is excessive rain, disease, sin, and vices like anger. There are many natural calamities, ailments, and sicknesses. As the yugas proceed, dharma repeatedly decays. As dharma decays, beings repeatedly deteriorate. As beings deteriorate, the forces that sustain the world also go into a decline. As the yugas decay, even tasks performed in the name of dharma lead to perverse outcomes. This is the name of Kali yuga, which will soon manifest itself. Even those who live for a long time must conform to the changes in the yugas." Then Hanuman stopped. "O destroyer of enemies! You were curious to know everything about me. Why should a learned man wish to know about things that are useless? O mighty-armed one! I have told you everything that you had asked me, including about the number of yugas. May you be blessed. Leave now."