yugas and colours

[Luis Gonzalez-Reimann]

The /Balacarita/ of Bhasa also mentions Narayana/Visnu's changing colors 
in the yugas in its opening lines:

Krta: the color of conch or milk
Treta: shiny like gold
Dvapara: black as durva grass
Kali: black as collyrium

Luis González-Reimann
_____

on 10/31/2009 1:30 PM Luis Gonzalez-Reimann wrote:
> The colors in 3.148, mentioned by Harunaga, are:
>
> Krta: white
> Treta: red
> Dvapara: yellow
> Kali: black
>
> But there is a different version in Mbh 3.187.31:
>
> Krta: white
> Treta: yellow
> Dvapara: red
> Kali: black
>
> Where the colors for Treta and Dvapara are reversed.
>
> I discuss this in my book /The Mahabharata and the Yugas/ (pp. 103, 
> 114-116).
>
> Luis González-Reimann
> _____
>
> on 10/31/2009 12:29 PM Harunaga Isaacson wrote:
>> And it is in the MBh, not only in passages excluded from the critical 
>> edition (such as that which DG
>> quoted), but also in 3.148 ("sukla in vs. 16, rakta in 23, piita in 
>> 26, and k.r.s.na in 33).
>>
>> Harunaga Isaacson
>>
>>
>> Peter Bisschop wrote:
>>> It is found in the Vi.s.nudharma (edition R. Gruenendahl):
>>> 104.27 ("sukla), 104.35 (rakta), 104.38 (piita), 104.45 (k.r.s.na)
>>>
>>> Peter Bisschop
>>>
>>> Quoting Dominic Goodall <dominic.goodall at GMAIL.COM>:
>>>
>>>> Dear all,
>>>>
>>>> Can anybody tell me whether the notion that Vi.s.nu changes colour in
>>>> each yuga predates the Bhaagavatapuraa.na?
>>>>
>>>> BhP_10.08.013/1 aasan var.naas trayo hy asya g.rh.nato 'nuyuga.m 
>>>> tanuu.h
>>>> BhP_10.08.013/3 "suklo raktas tathaa piita idaanii.m k.r.s.nataa.m 
>>>> gata.h
>>>>
>>>> I find it in a few passages excluded from the critical text of the
>>>> Mahaabhaarata, e.g.
>>>>
>>>> 13*0002_01 ya.h "svetatvam upaagata.h k.rtayuge tretaayuge raktataa.m
>>>> 13*0002_02 yugme ya.h kapila.h kalau sa bhagavaan k.r.s.natvam 
>>>> abhyaagata.h
>>>>
>>>> Does anybody know of any demonstrably early references?
>>>>
>>>> Dominic Goodall
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>