Ancient Indian Historical Tradition c20.8

c20.8

It is a commonplace of history that great wars, conquests or political changes put an end to one age and usher in a new age, or mark the transition from one to the other; and so the Mohammedans and the British introduced new ages into India. It is natural therefore to surmise that similar changes occurred and were so regarded in ancient India, and indications of this are found in tradition.¹ The end of the Dvāpara age was admittedly marked by the Bhārata battle, for it is declared that the battle occurred in the interval (*sandhyā*) between the Dvāpara and Kali ages;² but this was afterwards modified,³ and the beginning of the Kali age was fixed at the passing away of the great heroes of that battle, Kṛṣṇa and the Pāṇḍavas, in order apparently to obviate the repugnant idea that the deified Kṛṣṇa lived into the Kali age, according to the express statement that that age began immediately he died.⁴ The broad fact however is clear, that the Dvāpara age closed with that battle, and that the Kali age began with the changes in the political condition of N. India that ensued.