Sanskrit Prakrit Jain Vyakaran aur Kosh ki Parampara

Author(s): Chandanmalmuni, Nathmalmuni, Others
Publisher: Kalugani Janma Shatabdi Samaroha Samiti Chapar

Page 567

Semantic Changes in Kita, Treta, Dvapai and Kalı 75
third best and the worst in the game If a player obtained Krta he won all the five points at stake If he obtained Tieta or Dvāpara only 3 or 2 points respectively were won over all the participants Kalı was not only a barren score but also entailed loss of one's own stake Now in the Kita age there is unsullied good which goes on diminishing till the worst is reached in kalı Thus it may be assumed that through a process of figurative denotations the words Kita etc, which primarily denoted die fferent throws at the game of dice, also implied the best, second best, third best and the worst of the ages In course of time, the ancient practice of playing with dice dwindling and ultimately disappearing the primary denotations became obsolete and the secondary ones survived and gained popularity This conclusion is corroborated by the fact that the consecutive order of the ages Kļta etc, which was later strictly established, seems to be in a state of fluse in their earlier occurrences According to the reckoning of time in terms of Kșta, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali the Mahābhārata war was fought in the twilight period of Dvāpara and Kalı 13 So Dhrtrāshtra Pāndu and Vidura were born towards the end of Drāpaia But in the Ādiparva of the Malābhārata chapter 109, werses 5 onwards, it has been said that when these children - Dhstarāsțra etc - were born, Kęta prevailed, not only in the vicinity but also among the nations 14 This shows that in denominating the period as Krta what is taken into account here is the nature of the period rather than its consecutive order in the Udyogaparva chapter 132 verse 16, it is said that the king (by virtue of his deeds) causes Kria etc among his people.15 The same idea is found in the Manusmrti at IX 301 10 In the Mahābhārata this theme is taken up again and celebrated in the Shantiparva, chapter 69 The account begins with the statement that it is the king who brings about the periods designated as Kţta ctc When he administers justice in its entirety he causes the krta age But when he administers only three out of the four parts of justice, lic brings in Pretā and wlien he employs only two parts he causes Drāpara and Kali comcs in when the king is altogether bercft of justice Here the terms Kria etc have been used to denote periods of time But these do not seem to be fixed and consecutive ones So the secondary denotations of the words still remain in a state of flux The pri