treta-religie

Increasing guna of people in Treta-yuga is Rajas, Passion.

Ritual, sacrifice
Dharma or religion loses one leg, i.e. there is 25 percent reduction in religion. Desire for knowledge replaced meditation!... Rituals of sacrifice and severe austerities therefor become the path to perfection. Indra, the enjoyer of the universe, not only arranged the division of castes and stages of life, he also compiled the Mantras into Samhitas [collections], and prescribed specific Mantras for rites leading to fruits here and hereafter.

When e.g. the horse-sacrifice was instituted, the sages arrived there and began to perform sacrifices with the holy sacrificial beasts. On hearing about it, people assembled there to witness it. But violence was not approved as a means to Dharma by the great sages. However, by the perfect execution of the animal sacrifice ritual, the animals’ pain was insignificant compared to the instant attainment, by those beasts, of human and celestial bodies.

Most people kind
Most people however were kind and engaged in the worship of Vishnu. They were happy and had a composed mind. They all followed the religious stages of human life. But as 25 percent of religion was reduced, vice did appeare. And unhappiness appeared as well, and affected some people.

The influence of irreligion was felt through the introduction of lying, violence, dissatisfaction, and quarrel. This increased as people increasingly began to lose touch with their spiritual identity.

~bron~