Life in Ancient India as Depicted in the Jain Canons, with Commentaries: An Administrative, Economic, Social and Geographical Survey c20.24

c20.24

The first age Susamāsusamā is described as the happiest age when the children born were always twins, a boy and a girl, and their parents died immediately after their birth. In this millenial age all needs were supplied by the ten desire-yielding trees (kalpavṛkṣas) The worst of all is said to have been the last age, named Dusamādusamā. It is stated that during this period terrific storms would blow, there would be dust all over, the clouds would shower poisonous water and except the mountain, Veyaddha, and the rivers Gaṅgā and Sindhu, everything else would perish and the whole earth would be blazing with fire. The people would live during this period in the caves would catch fish and tortoises and would satisfy their hunger with flesh and dead bodies.¹