A Yuga (Devanāgari: युग) in Hindu philosophy is the name of an 'epoch' or 'era' within a cycle of four ages. A Hindu ( Devanagari: हिन्दू is an adherent of the philosophies and scriptures of Hinduism, a set of religious, Philosophical These are the Satya Yuga (or Krita Yuga), the Treta Yuga, the Dvapara Yuga and finally the Kali Yuga, which are equated with the Roman Golden, Silver, Bronze and Iron Ages respectively by E. The Satya Yuga ( Devanagari: सत्य युग also called Sat Yuga, Krta Yuga and Krita Yuga in Hinduism, is the " The Satya Yuga ( Devanagari: सत्य युग also called Sat Yuga, Krta Yuga and Krita Yuga in Hinduism, is the " The Treta Yuga ( Devanagari: त्रेता युगis the second out of four Yugas or ages of man in the religion of Hinduism, following the Dvapara Yuga ( Devanagari: द्वापर युग is the third out of four Yugas or ages described in the scriptures of Hinduism. Kali Yuga ( Devanāgarī: sa कलियुग lit "Age of Kali " "age of vice" is one of the four stages of development that the world goes Burgess [1]. According to Indian astronomy and Hindu Mythology, the world is created, destroyed and recreated every 4,320,000 years (Maha Yuga) [2]. Indian astronomy —the earliest textual mention of which is given in the religious literature of India (2nd millennium BCE—became an established tradition by the 1st millennium BCE Hinduism’s understanding of time is as grandiose as time itself The cycles are said to repeat like the seasons, waxing and waning within a greater time-cycle of the creation and destruction of the universe. Like Summer, Spring, Winter and Autumn, each yuga involves stages or gradual changes which the earth and the consciousness of mankind goes through as a whole. A complete yuga cycle from a high Golden Age of enlightenment to a Dark Age and back again is said to be caused by the solar system's motion around a central sun.
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In Puranic Hindu tradition, the world goes through a continuous cycle of epochs. Hinduism is a religious tradition that originated in the Indian subcontinent. Hinduism is an umbrella term for a wide variety of related religious traditions native to India. Within Hinduism a large number of personalities or 'forms' are worshiped as Murtis. Hinduism comprises numerous Sects or denominations The main divisions in current Hinduism are Shaivism, Shaktism, Vaishnavism Hindu mythology is the large body of Mythology related to Hinduism, notably as contained in Sanskrit literature, such as the Sanskrit epics and Hindu philosophy is divided into six Sanskrit ''{{IAST|āstika}}'') schools of thought or darshanas (literally "views" Sankhya The Sanskrit term ( Devanāgarī: धर्म Pali transliteration dhamma) is an Indian spiritual and religious Artha ( Devanagari: अर्थ is a Sanskrit term meaning "purpose cause motive meaning notion" In Indian religions, Moksha ( Sanskrit: sa मोक्ष mokṣa) or Mukti ( Sanskrit: sa मुक्ति literally "release" Karma is a concept in Hinduism which explains Causality through a system where beneficial effects are derived from past beneficial actions Yoga ( Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, joːgə refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India, to the Bhakti ( Devanāgarī: भक्ति) is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning devotion. Maya ( Sanskrit sa माया māyā) in Indian religions, has multiple meanings This article is about Hinduism. Puja or "pooja" may also refer to certain devotional practices performed by Balmikis Buddhists (see A Hindu temple or Mandir ( Sanskrit: मंदिर is a house of worship for Hindus followers of Hinduism. Literature regarded as central to the Hindu literary tradition was predominantly composed in Sanskrit, Indeed much of the morphology and linguistic "Veda" redirects here For other uses see Veda (disambiguation. The Upanishads ( Devanagari: उपनिषद् IAST: upaniṣad also spelled "Upanisad" are Hindu scriptures that constitute the core teachings The Rāmāyaṇa ( Devanāgarī: sa रामायण is an ancient Sanskrit epic attributed to the Hindu sage ( Maharishi) Valmiki For other meanings see Purana (disambiguation. The Puranas ( Sanskrit: sa पुराण purāṇa, "of ancient times" The following is a bibliography of Hindu scriptures and texts. The percentage of Hindu population of each country was taken from the US State Department's International Religious Freedom Report 2006. These are some of the most noteworthy Gurus and Saints of Hinduism (in alphabetical order A Hinduism is going through a phase of regeneration and reform through the vehicle of several contemporary movements collectively termed as Hindu reform movements. Ayurveda ( Devanāgarī: आयुर्वॆद the 'science of life' is a system of Traditional medicine native to India, and practiced in other The Hindu calendar used in ancient times has undergone many changes in the process of regionalization and today there are several regional Indian Calendars, as This article deals with social and cultural criticism of Hinduism The following is a glossary of terms and concepts in Hinduism. Jyotiṣa ( Sanskrit jyotiṣa, from jyótis- "light heavenly body" also spelled Jyotish and Jyotisha in English For other meanings see Purana (disambiguation. The Puranas ( Sanskrit: sa पुराण purāṇa, "of ancient times" Each ascending phase of the cycle from the Kali Yuga to Satya Yuga is followed by a descending phase of equal length back to the Kali Yuga, then another ascending phase which begins it again. . Alternatively, it is sometimes supposed that at the end of the descending Kali Yuga, the world will return to the Satya Yuga and begin a new decline.
The descent from Satya to Kali is associated with a progressive deterioration of Dharma (righteousness) manifested as a decrease in both the length of human life and the quality of human moral standards. The Sanskrit term ( Devanāgarī: धर्म Pali transliteration dhamma) is an Indian spiritual and religious In the Vishnu Purana, for example, the Kali yuga is described thus:
"In the Kali Yuga, there will be numerous rulers vying with each other. They will have no character. Violence, falsehood and wickedness will be the order of the day. Piety and good nature will dwindle slowly. . . Passion and lust will be the only attraction between the sexes. Women will be the objects of sensual pleasure. Dishonest will be the bottom line of subsistence. Learned people will be ridiculed and put to shame; the word of the wealthy person will be the only law. "
The traditional virtues accorded the highest value in the four epochs are:
- Satya Yuga or Krita Yuga: dhyana (meditation). The Satya Yuga ( Devanagari: सत्य युग also called Sat Yuga, Krta Yuga and Krita Yuga in Hinduism, is the " In the highest yuga, the great majority of people can experience spirituality by direct intuitive realization of truth. The veil between the material and the transcendent realms becomes almost transparent. According to Natya Shastra, there are no Natya performances in the Krita Yuga because it is a period free from any kind of unhappiness or misery. The Nātya Shastra ( Sanskrit: Nātyaśāstra नाट्य शास्त्र is an ancient Indian treatise on the Performing arts The Nātya Shastra ( Sanskrit: Nātyaśāstra नाट्य शास्त्र is an ancient Indian treatise on the Performing arts Satya Yuga is also called the Golden Age. The term Golden age is best known from Greek mythology and legend but can also be found in other ancient cultures (see below
- Treta Yuga: yajna (sacrifice). The Treta Yuga ( Devanagari: त्रेता युगis the second out of four Yugas or ages of man in the religion of Hinduism, following the The Treta Yuga is the mental age. Mental power is harnessed and men are in power. There are inventions that dissolve the illusion of time (inventions are characteristic of both Dvapara and Treta yugas). Clairvoyance and telepathy are common skills.
- Dvapara Yuga: archana (worship). Dvapara Yuga ( Devanagari: द्वापर युग is the third out of four Yugas or ages described in the scriptures of Hinduism. In the Dvapara Yuga, science flourishes, people experience the spiritual in terms of subtle energies and rational choices, inventions are abundant, particularly those that dissolve the illusion of distance (between people and between things), and power is mostly in the hands of women. The end of this age (in the descending phase) is associated with the death of Krishna, and the events described in the Mahabharata. Krishna (कृष्ण in Devanagari kṛṣṇa in IAST, ˈkr̩ʂɳə in classical Sanskrit is a deity worshiped across many traditions of Hinduism
- Kali Yuga: daana (alms). Kali Yuga ( Devanāgarī: sa कलियुग lit "Age of Kali " "age of vice" is one of the four stages of development that the world goes In the lowest epoch, Kali Yuga, most people are aware only of the physical aspects of existence. The predominant emphasis of living is material survival, and power is mostly in the hands of men.
Temples, wars, and writing are hallmarks of Dvapara and Kali yugas. In the higher ages (Treta and Satya), writing is unnecessary because people communicate directly by thought. Temples are unnecessary because people feel the omnipresence of God. Wars are rare but they do occur - one such war is described in the Ramayana. The Rāmāyaṇa ( Devanāgarī: sa रामायण is an ancient Sanskrit epic attributed to the Hindu sage ( Maharishi) Valmiki
The Hindu texts say the four yugas equal 4,320,000 years, or a mahayuga. Hinduism’s understanding of time is as grandiose as time itself 1,000 mahayugas or 4. 32 billion years equal one kalpa. A kalpa is a Sanskrit word meaning an Aeon, or a long period of time in Hindu (cf The traditional timescale of the yugas is as follows:
- Satya Yuga or Krita Yuga - 1,728,000 years
- Treta Yuga - 1,296,000 years
- Dvapara Yuga - 864,000 years
- Kali Yuga - 432,000 years
Hence, Hindu scripture says the length of the yugas maintain a 4,3,2,1 ratio to each other, with the Krita or Satya lasting 4000 years (plus a 400 year transition in and out) for a total of 4800 years, the Treta equals 3000 years (plus a 300 year transition in and out) for a total of 3600 years, the Dwapara last 2000 years (plus a 200 year transition in and out) for a total of 2400 years and the Kali 1000 years (plus a 100 year transition in and out) for a total of 1200 years. All the epochs together equal 12,000 years (or divine years) in the ascending phase and 12,000 years in the descending phase. One complete cycle is said to be equal to and celestially observed as one precession of the equinox, according to Sri Yukteswar (see below). This four yugas consists of 10 parts of 432,000 years i. e 4,320,000 years . The Krita Yuga lasts for 4 parts; the name has the same consonants T and R of the word Chatur (four). The Treta Yuga consists of Tri (three) parts as it is apparent in the name 'Treta'. The Dvapara Yuga lasts for Dva (two) parts as it is apparent in the name 'Dvapara'. The Kali Yuga lasts for Eka (one) part; the consonant K appears in the name Kali.
Upon conclusion of seventy-one circuits of this cycle, there is a period equally long during which the world is inundated; then the cycle begins again.
Sri Yukteswar's teachings on the yugas
An alternative view of the yuga cycle and time scale was taught by the 19th/20th-century Indian yogi Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, guru of Paramahansa Yogananda. Yoga ( Sanskrit: योग, IAST: yóga, joːgə refers to traditional physical and mental disciplines originating in India, to the Swami (Sw (स्वामी Svāmi, IPA:) is primarily a Hindu honorific title for either males or females Sri Yukteswar Giri (also spelled Sriyukteswar Giri and Sriyukteshvar Giri ( May 10, 1855 - March 9, 1936) is the monastic name of Priyanath Paramahansa Yogananda ( Bengali: পরমহংস যোগানন্দ Pôromohôngsho Joganondo, Sanskrit: परमहंस योगानंद
In his book, The Holy Science, Sri Yukteswar explained that the descending phase of Satya Yuga lasts 4800 years, the Treta Yuga 3600 years, Dwapara Yuga 2400 years, and the Kali Yuga 1200 years. The Holy Science is a book written by Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri in 1894 under the title Kaivalya Darsanam. The ascending phase of the Kali Yuga then begins, also lasting 1200 years. The ascending phase of the Kali Yuga began in September of 499 AD. Events By place Asia Kavadh I of Persia deposes his brother Djamasp and restores himself as king of Persia. Since September 1699, we have been in the ascending phase of the Dwapara Yuga, according to Sri Yukteswar.
In The Holy Science, Sri Yukteswar wrote that the traditional or long count view is based on a misunderstanding. He says that at the end of the last descending Dvapara Yuga (about 700 BC), "Maharaja Yudhisthira, noticing the appearance of the dark Kali Yuga, made over his throne to his grandson [and]. Dvapara Yuga ( Devanagari: द्वापर युग is the third out of four Yugas or ages described in the scriptures of Hinduism. In the great Hindu epic Mahabharata, Yudhisthira ( Sanskrit: युधिष्ठिर yudhiṣṭhira) the eldest son of King . . together with all of his wise men. . . retired to the Himalaya Mountains. . . Thus there was none in the court. . . who could understand the principle of correctly accounting the ages of the several Yugas. "
According to Sri Yukteswar, nobody wanted to announce the bad news of the beginning of the ascending Kali Yuga, so they kept adding years to the Dvapara date (at that time 2400 Dvapara) only retitling the epoch to Kali. As the Kali began to ascend again, scholars of the time recognized that there was a mistake in the date (then being called 3600+ Kali, even their texts said Kali had only 1200 years). "By way of reconciliation, they fancied that 1200 years, the real age of Kali, were not the ordinary years of our earth, but were so many daiva (or deva) years ("years of the gods"), consisting of 12 daiva months of 30 daiva days each, with each daiva day being equal to one ordinary solar year of our earth. Hence according to these men 1200 years of Kali Yuga must be equal to 432,000 years of our earth. "
Sri Yukteswar explained that just as the cycle of day and night is caused by a celestial motion (the earth spinning on its axis in relation to the sun), and just as the cycle of the seasons are caused by a celestial motion (the earth with tilted axis orbiting the sun) so too is the yuga cycle (seen as the precession of the equinox), caused by a celestial motion. He explained this celestial motion as the movement of the whole solar system around another star. As our sun moves through this orbit, it takes the solar system (and earth) closer to and then further from a point in space known as the "grand centre" also called 'Vishnunabhi', which is the seat of the creative power, 'Brahma', [which]. . . regulates. . . the mental virtue of the internal world. " He implied that it is the proximity of the earth and sun to this grand centre that determines which season of man or yuga it is.
References
- ^ cf. Surya Siddhanta, commentary by E. Burgess.
- ^ World Mythology, By Donna G. Rosenberg, Published 1994 McGraw-Hill Professional, ISBN 0844257672, Page 327
- The Holy Science, Swami Sri Yukteswar. Published by Self-Realization Fellowship. Self-Realization Fellowship / Yogoda Satsanga Society of India is a worldwide spiritual organization founded by Paramahansa Yogananda in 1920 and based in Los Angeles California
- Vishnu Purana — translation
- Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend, Anna L. Dictionary of Hindu Lore and Legend (2002 is a book written by Anna L Dallapiccola (Thames & Hudson, 2002)
External links
See also
Hinduism’s understanding of time is as grandiose as time itself Yuga Dharma (युगधर्म is one aspect of Dharma, as understood by Hindus. The Ages of Man are the stages of human existence on the Earth according to Classical mythology.Dictionary
yuga
-noun
- In Hindu theology, an epoch or era within a cycle of four ages: the Satya Yuga (or Krita Yuga), the the Dvapara Yuga,the Treta Yugaand finally the Kali Yuga, with incremental lengths ranging from 432,000 to 1,728,000 years.
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