Answering from Śvetāmbara Jain viewpoint, in simple language.

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1. As time progresses in the 5th āra (Duḥṣamā / Pañcam Kāl)

We are in Avasarpiṇī (descending half-cycle), 5th āra = Duḥṣamā, total 21,000 years long. It is a period of mostly sorrow, little happiness, and continuous spiritual decline.

Below is a gradual picture of what happens in this 5th āra, according to Jain cosmology and Śvetāmbara understanding:

(A) Religion and spirituality

• Beginning of 5th āra (near our present time)

- True Jain Dharma (as taught by Tīrthaṅkaras) still exists in scriptures and some practice. - There are temples, idols, sādhus, sādhvīs, śrāvaks, śrāvikās. - Samyak-darśan (right faith) is rare but still possible. - Keval-jñān and mokṣa are not possible in Bhārat Kṣetra in 5th āra, but they remain possible in Mahāvideh Kṣetra.

• Middle part of 5th āra (far future – thousands of years ahead)

- Gradually, true understanding of Dharma becomes weaker. - People still use religious names, do rituals, and follow customs, but: - More show-off, less inner purity. - Attachment (rāga) and aversion (dveṣa) increase. - Number and quality of sādhus-sādhvīs decreases. - True śīl (moral conduct) becomes very rare.

• Towards the end of 5th āra

- Dharma is present more in name and outer form than in real spirit. - Very few people will be interested in self-restraint, non-violence and aparigraha. - Even where “religion” is seen, it will often be mixed with: - Superstition - Violence in the name of religion - Greed and power - Samyak-darśan becomes extremely rare, almost disappearing from this region.

So, as 5th āra moves forward, Dharma = weaker, more external, less inner transformation.

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(B) Body, lifespan and inner qualities

• Now / near now in 5th āra

- Average human life is already short (decades). - Height, strength, health are much lower than in previous āras. - Diseases, mental stress, and emotional problems are very common.

• Later in 5th āra

- Lifespan continues to decrease. - Physical and mental strength reduces further. - More epidemics, diseases, disabilities. - People become: - More impatient - Quicker to anger - Less compassionate - More self-centered

In short: as 5th āra goes on, body becomes weaker, life shorter, mind more disturbed.

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(C) Society, environment, and daily life

As Duḥṣamā deepens:

• Violence and crime increase.
• Greed becomes a strong driving force:

- Cheating and corruption become normal. - People care less about fairness and more about personal gain.

• Family and social bonds weaken:

- More conflicts inside families. - Less respect for elders.

• Environment suffers:

- More exploitation of nature. - Less pure air, water, food.

• Wars and large-scale conflicts become more frequent and more destructive.

All this is a natural effect of heavier paap (sinful) karmas rising in this era.

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2. The last day of the 5th āra & the first day of the 6th āra (Śvetāmbara view)

Remember: Jain scriptures describe this qualitatively, not as a human calendar date. The “last day” and “first day” are points in a cosmic cycle, not like 31 Dec / 1 Jan.

(A) Last day of the 5th āra (Duḥṣamā) – what is it like?

By the very end of the 5th āra in Bhārat Kṣetra:

1. Lifespan & body

- Human lifespan is very short (much less than even present). - People are physically weak, mentally restless, with many diseases. - Height and strength are much smaller than earlier in the āra.

1. Spiritual condition

- No Kevalī, no Tīrthaṅkara, no mokṣa from this land. (This has already been true throughout the 5th for Bhārat.) - Samyak-darśan is almost completely absent – extremely, extremely rare. - Almost everyone lives under mithyātva (wrong belief) and strong passions.

1. Religion in society

- Names, labels, buildings, idols may still be there, but: - Religion is mostly form without substance. - Very few practice real ahiṁsā, anuvratas, or mahāvratas. - True sādhus/sādhvīs are nearly extinct in the pure Jain sense (perfect non-possession, rigorous vows, etc.).

1. Worldly life

- High level of violence, cheating, theft, and exploitation. - People live mostly for sensual enjoyment and survival, not for spiritual growth. - Natural calamities, famines, wars and suffering are at a very high level because of the heavy collective karma.

So, the last day of 5th āra is simply the peak of Duḥṣamā: maximum decline in spirituality, strong misery, very little genuine Dharma left.

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(B) First day of the 6th āra (Duḥṣama-Duḥṣamā)

Immediately after the 5th ends, the 6th āra starts. Name: Duḥṣama–Duḥṣamā (extreme misery upon misery). Duration: 21,000 years (again, per traditional calculation).

Śvetāmbara understanding for 6th āra in Bhārat Kṣetra:

1. Spiritual state

- No true Jain Dharma in practice. - No Samyak-darśan, no real following of the three jewels (samyak-darśan, samyak-jñān, samyak-chāritra). - No sādhus, sādhvīs in the strict Jain sense. - People do not have the capacity or interest for renunciation and real non-violence. - Mokṣa from Bhārat Kṣetra is impossible, just as in 5th, and spiritually conditions are even worse. - However, in other regions like Mahāvideh Kṣetra, Tīrthaṅkaras and Kevalīs still exist and mokṣa continues there (this point stays true beyond our local 6th āra).

1. Religion in name

- People may still talk of gods, rituals, and beliefs, but from Jain view: - It is not samyak Dharma. - There is no real path of liberation being followed. - Dharma becomes more like stories, customs, fears, and blind faith, not true spiritual discipline.

1. Lifespan and body

- Life spans are even shorter than at the end of 5th āra. - Human bodies are small, weak, and constantly troubled by disease and hunger. - Average age can be extremely low – people die very young.

1. Mind and conduct

- Anger, pride, deceit, greed are very strong almost everywhere. - Crime, violence, and betrayal become very ordinary. - Compassion, forgiveness, tolerance become very rare qualities.

1. Society and environment

- Constant fear, insecurity and conflict. - Very little stability in families or society. - Natural resources are poor; hunger and scarcity are common. - Due to heavy karmic bondage, conditions seem “hellish” compared to earlier āras, though technically it is still human realm, not actual naraka (hell).

So, the first day of 6th āra already has all the basic nature of Duḥṣama–Duḥṣamā: no true Dharma, extreme suffering, very weak spiritual capacity.

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(C) After the 6th āra (for context)

Though you asked only till the start of 6th:

• After 21,000 years of 6th āra, the descending half-cycle (Avasarpiṇī) ends.
• Then the ascending half-cycle (Utsarpiṇī) begins: again six āras, but now from worst to best.
• Over a very, very long time, conditions slowly improve again, ending in Sukhama-Sukhama.

This shows the Jain view of time as a never-ending cycle – no final “end of universe”, only continuous rise and fall of spiritual and worldly conditions.

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For a simple diagram-based explanation of the Jain time-cycle (Kalchakra) and the six āras, you can read more here: