[Vidhu Kaimal]

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Yugas mean many different things; but usually it refers to a period of time or generations. The literal meaning of the word means “york” or joining of two things.

Yuga, in Hindu cosmology, an age of humankind. Each yuga is progressively shorter than the preceding one, corresponding to a decline in the moral and physical state of humanity. Four such yugas (called Krita, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali, after the throws of an Indian game of dice) make up the mahayuga (“great yuga”), and 2,000 mahayugas make up the basic cosmic cycle, the kalpa. The first yuga (Krita) was an age of perfection lasting 1,728,000 years. The fourth and most-degenerate yuga (Kali) is the present age, which began in 3102 BCE and will last 432,000 years. At the close of the Kali yuga, the world will be destroyed, to be re-created after a period of quiescence as the cycle resumes again. In Hindu astronomy, a yuga is a unit of time consisting of five solar years.

According to Hindu philosophy, time is not linear but moves in a series of repeating cycles.The Yugas are a way of categorizing these cycles, each characterized by distinct spiritual, social, and moral qualities. The Yugas are part of the broader Hindu cosmological and metaphysical framework.

In ‘The Holy Science’ by Sri Yukteswar, who, many years prior to Einstein’s theory of Relativity, predicted that all matter is made up of “fine matters and electricities”, but he was not a scientist but a Sage and a Seer, his teachings would obviously be disregarded by the scientific community at the time. He describes the cycle of Yugas as a recurring cycle of human development. He explains that influences from outside our solar system is the cause of yugas. It also influences our collective consciousness.

There are four yugas as illustrated in the image above.

1: Satya Yuga (Golden Age):

Duration: 1.728 million years

Virtue: Virtue is at its peak during this age. Truth and righteousness prevail.

Human Nature: People are predominantly virtuous, and there is minimal conflict.

Spiritual Practice: Meditation and contemplation are the primary forms of spiritual practice.

Symbol: The bull, symbolizing Dharma (righteousness), is associated with Satya Yuga.

2 Treta Yuga (Silver Age):

Duration: 1.296 million years

Virtue: Virtue decreases compared to Satya Yuga, but righteousness is still predominant.

Human Nature: People begin to experience a decline in virtue, and some conflict arises.

Spiritual Practice: Rituals and sacrifices become more prominent as spiritual practices.

Symbol: The horse, symbolizing the yajna (sacrifice), is associated with Treta Yuga.

3: Dvapara Yuga (Bronze Age):

Duration: 864,000 years

Virtue: Virtue further diminishes, and there is an increase in unrighteousness.

Human Nature: Morality declines, and there is an increase in conflicts and misunderstandings.

Spiritual Practice: Temples and external forms of worship become prevalent.

Symbol: The two-headed bird is associated with Dvapara Yuga.

4: Kali Yuga (Iron Age):

Duration: 432,000 years (We are currently believed to be in the Kali Yuga)

Virtue: Virtue is at its lowest during this age, and unrighteousness prevails.

Human Nature: People are characterized by greed, selfishness, and moral decline.

Spiritual Practice: The focus shifts to external rituals, and spirituality becomes superficial.

Symbol: The bull with a single leg, symbolizing the instability and imbalance of the Kali Yuga.

 

After the completion of the Kali Yuga, the cycle repeats with the onset of a new Satya Yuga. This cyclical concept is known as “Yuga Cycle” or “Maha Yuga.”

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