In Different views of Yuga-counting - There are mainly three views prevalent in the context of Yuga-counting:
- According to the first opinion, some people believe that the Yugchakra is of 24,000 years, in which Satyayug, Tretayug, Dwaparayug and Kaliyug are followed by Kaliyug, Dwaparayug, Tretayug and Satyayug in the reverse order.
- According to the second opinion, the age of the Yuga has been calculated from the age of Dev Yuga: it means that one year of the Gods is equal to 360 years of humans and the entire Chaturyug is considered equal to 12,000 years of the Gods. According to which the duration of Satyayug is 17,28,000 years, Tretayug is 12,96,000 years, Dwaparayug is 8,64,000 years and Kaliyug is 4,32,000 years.
- According to the third opinion, the Yugas are calculated by human age: the duration of Satya Yuga is 4,800 years, Treta Yuga is 3,600 years, Dwapara Yuga is 2,400 years, and Kali Yuga is 1,200 years. All these three opinions are supported by various ancient texts and studies of scholars. What is the actual age of the four Yugas? Based on the following evidence, its correct description is given below -
First opinion
Is the Yuga calculation done according to 24,000 years?
Srimadbhagvat Mahapuran (12.2.39)
This verse of the Purana does not support the reverse order of the Yugachakra, but clearly confirms that Satyayuga, Tretayuga, Dwaparayuga and
Kaliyuga
are repeated in exactly the same order. This implies that the Yugachakra is not of 24,000 years.
Support from other texts -
Other ancient texts also mention that Satyayuga, Tretayuga, Dwaparayuga and Kaliyuga are repeated in the same order.
This indicates that the first view of counting the Yugas, which considers the Yugachakra to be of 24,000 years, is not accurate.
Second opinion
Is the Yuga calculated according to Dev Varsha?
Ye te rātryahani pūrvaṃ kīrtite jīvalaukike /
Tayoḥ saṅkhyāy varṣāgraṃ brāhme vakṣāmyahaḥ kṣape ।। 18 ।।
Pṛthak saṃvatsarāgraṇi pravakṣāmyanupūrvaśaḥ /
Kṛte tretāyuge caiva dvāpare ca kalau tathā ।। 19 ।। - Mahabharata Shanti Parva 231.18-19
Analyzing this shloka, it appears that the Yuga here is calculated by human age and not by the age of Gods. According to the shloka: "I am now telling the value of Brahma's day and nights according to the number of days and nights of humans mentioned earlier. Along with this, I am also telling the number of years of these four Yugas - Satyayuga, Treta, Dwapara and Kaliyuga separately."
This shloka seems to calculate the length of Yugas in human terms.
hattvāryāhuḥ sahasrāṇi varṣāṇāṃ tat kṛtaṃ yugam
Tasya tāvatśatī sandhyā sandhyāṃśaśca tathāvidhaḥ
॥ – Manu Smriti 1.69:1
This verse of Manusmriti mentions the duration of Krita Yuga as 4,000 years, and an additional 400 years for Sandhya. This verse also makes it clear that the Yugas have been calculated based on human age, not the age of the divine age.
On the basis of these verses, it is clear that the Yugas have been calculated based on human age, and thus the other view which says that the Yugas have been calculated based on the age of the Deva Yuga cannot be supported.
Thus, the evidence from Mahabharata and Manusmriti shows that the Yugas have been calculated based on human age.
Argument of Shri Bal Gangadhar Tilak
Lokmanya Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who was called the "Maker of Modern India" by Mahatma Gandhi and was also looked up to by Swami Vivekananda, made an important claim about the duration of the Yugas in his book The Arctic Home in the Vedas (1903). According to Tilak, Yugas are not of millions of years and the duration of the four Yugas is only 12,000 years.
Tilak also argued that various authors and commentators of our religious texts have exaggerated the duration of the Yugas. In particular, the authors of the Puranas wanted to extend the duration of Kali Yuga (1,200 human years) so that the entire Yugachakra could be extended.
Tilak wrote that if the duration of Kali Yuga was 1,000 years or 1,200 normal years including Sandhya and Sandhyamsha (duration of Yugasandhi), it would have ended around the beginning of the Christian era. Tilak believed that the authors of the Puranas, most of which appear to have been written during the first few centuries of the Christian era, were not naturally inclined to accept that Kali-yuga had ended.
Explanation by Shri Krishnavallabhacharya -
Shri Krishnavallabhacharya, who was the main spiritual leader of Swaminarayan Mandir, Junagadh, presented a deep study on Yuga Ganana in his scriptures. He wrote 1,26,000 verses in the epic 'Lakshmi Narayan Samhita', which is considered to be the second largest epic in the history of the world after Mahabharata.
In addition, he composed 44 other scholarly original texts. In his book 'Abhinandan', Shri Krishnavallabhacharya has provided a detailed explanation of Yuga Ganana, in which he explained that the duration of Yugchakra is only 12,000 human years.
He also gave a special description of the Bhoga Aayu of Yugas, which explains the lifespan and events experienced by humans during each Yuga. It is clear from this explanation that there are significant differences in the views of different scholars regarding Yugas, and Shri Krishnavallabhacharya's contribution provides a deep reflection on this subject.
Opinion of various saints and traditions -
Pandit Shriram Sharma, Brahma Kumari Sanstha, Devayat Pandit, a great saint of 15th century Gujarat, and Vibhu Dev Mishra in their book "Yuga Shift"; beliefs of ancient cultures, Persian tradition, Etruscan, Greek and Roman philosophers, Greek philosopher Plato, prophecies of Zoroaster, and Graham Hancock's new book "Magicians of the Gods" consider the total duration of Yugchakra to be 12,000 years. The total duration of Yugchakra in various traditions and cultures is considered to be 12,000 years, which is proved by religious texts and scientific research.
Thus the total duration of Yugchakra in scriptures, various traditions and cultures is considered to be 12,000 years, which is proved by religious texts and scientific research.
Third opinion -
Is the Yuga calculated according to the age of a human being, in which the duration of Satyayuga is 4,800 years, Tretayuga is 3,600 years, Dwaparayuga is 2,400 years, and Kaliyuga is 1,200 years? If we understand this popular opinion then -
Satyayuga
Human years: 4,000 years
Twilight: 400 years
Twilight: 400 years
Total duration: 4,800 years
Trethayuga
Human years: 3,000 years
Twilight: 300 years
Twilight: 300 years
Total duration: 3,600 years
Dwaparayuga
Human years: 2,000 years
Twilight: 200 years
Twilight: 200 years
Total duration: 2,400 years
Kaliyuga
Human years: 1,000 years
Twilight: 100 years
Twilight: 100 years
Total duration: 1,200 years
"If we consider the age of four yugas to be 12,000 years, then the age of Kali Yuga is 1,200 years. Then Kali Yuga would have ended 3,800 years ago?" - this question is natural. But as everyone knows that Kali Yuga is still going on!
So this third view of Yuga calculation also does not match the reality.
So what is the reality and what is the correct age of Yugas?
reality
Yathā Vedaścha Tṛṣṭpādaścha Tṛṣṭpādham tathā Yugam।
Yathā Yugam Tṛṣṭpādham Vidhātrā Vihitam Swayam॥
Tṛṣṭpādham Purāṇam Tu Brahmaṇā Vihitam Purā॥ — Vayu Purana (Chapter 32.67)
Just as God has made the Vedas four-legged, similarly Brahmaji has also divided each Yuga into four legs. This has also been described by Shri Krishnavallabhacharya in his book 'Abhinandan'.
The names of these four legs are as follows -
- process step
- appendicular step
- subalternative step
- destruction step
In which the duration of each pada is 1000 years and Sandhya (beginning) is 100 years + 100 years Sandhyansh (end). According to which the total age of each pada is 1200 years and Satyayug enjoys one pada, Tretayug enjoys two padas, Dwaparyug enjoys three padas and Kaliyug enjoys four padas.
- Vayu Purana (Chapter 32)
Kṛte vai prakriyāpādaśvatūḥsāhasra uchyate।
Tasmācchatuḥśataṁ sandhyā sandhyāṁśaścha tathāvidhaḥ॥ 59
Satyayug is of 4,000 human years. Its 'Sandhya' is of 400 years and 'Sandhyamsha' is of 400 years. Thus Satyayug is of 4,800 years and its one pada i.e. one fourth part is of 1,000. Satyayug has an age of 1,200 years.
Trētā trīṇi sahastrāṇi, saṅkhyayā munibhiḥ saha।
Tasyāpi triśatī sandhyā sandhyāṁ śastriśataḥ smṛtaḥ॥ 60
Anuṣaṅgapādastretyāstrisāhasrastu saṅkhyayā।
Tretayug is of 3,000 human years and the duration of Tretayug is 3,600 human years including 300 years of Sandhya and 300 years of Sandhyamsha. This Tretayug experiences two parts, one is Procession Pada and the other is Anushang Pada. The years of both those Pada and accordingly the duration of Sandhya and Sandhyamsha together makes Tretayug experience a duration of 2,400 years.
Dvāpare he sahasre tu varṣāṇāṁ samprakīrtitam ॥ 61
Tasyāpi dviśatī sandhyā sandhyāṁśo dviśatastathā।
Upodaghātastreṭīyastu dvāpare pāda uchyate॥ 62
Dwaparyug is said to be of 2,000 years, 200 years of Sandhya and 200 years of Sandhyaamsha are said to be 2,400 years. But this Dwaparyug experiences the duration of three padas. One is Processing pada, second is Anushang pada and third is Upodghat pada - the years of these three padas and accordingly 300-300 years of Sandhya and Sandhyaamsha together make the age of Dwaparyug 3,600 years.
Kali varṣa sahasrantu prāhuḥ
Saṅkhyāvido janāḥ।
Tasyāpi śatikā sandhyā
Sandhyāṁśaḥ śatameva ca॥ 63
Saṁhāra pādaḥ saṅkhyāścaturtho
Vai: kalau yuge।
Sasaṁdhyāni sahāṁśāni catvāri tu yugāni vai॥ 64
Kaliyug is of thousand years and its Sandhi is of 100 years and Sandhyaansh is of 100 years, thus there are 1200 years, but Kaliyug enjoys the time of four padas, that is, one process pada, second Anushang pada, third Upodghata pada and fourth Sanhaar pada, thus 4,000 of four padas and accordingly 400 years of Sandhya and Sandhyaansh, 400 years each, together Kaliyug enjoys the age of 4,800 years.
Etad dvādaśasāhasra caturyugamiti smṛtam।
Evaṁ pādaiḥ sahasrāṇi ślokānāṁ pañca pañca ca॥ 65 Sandhyāsadhyāṁśakāireva dve sahasra tathā'pare। Evaṁ dvādaśasāhasra purāṇaṁ kavayo viduḥ॥ 66
The duration of all the four Yugas along with Sandhya and Sandhyamsha is said to be 12000 years. The sum of all these Yug Padas is 10000 years and Sandhya and Sandhyamsha are 2000 years. Thus the total duration of Yug Padas is said to be 12000 years.
Other Sanatan scriptures -
In the following Sanatan scriptures also, the age of the four yugas has been stated as 12000 human years -
- Mahabharata Vana Parva (188.22-29)
- Mahabharata Shanti Parva (231.20)
- Shri Harivansh Purana Harivansh Parva (8.12-16)
- Shri Harivansh Purana Bhavishya Parva (8.1-19)
- Manusmriti (1.69-70)
- Linga Purana (4.5-6)
- Vayu Purana (57.23-28)
The basic formula of Yuga Ganat has been described in great detail. Due to not understanding the Pada Ganat, Kali Yuga was considered to be of 1,200 years and as an alternative, the number of years was increased by 360 times by considering them as Divyavarsha.
So it is clear that Satya Yuga is of 1,200 years, Treta Yuga is of 2,400 years, Dwapar Yuga is of 3,600 years and Kali Yuga is of 4,800 human years.
The beginning and end of Kali Yuga has been described in Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran and Shri Vishnu Puran.
Saptarṣīṇāṁ tu yau pūrvau dṛśyete uditau divi।
Tayostu madhye nakṣatraṁ dṛśyate yat samaṁ niśi॥
Tenaiva ṛṣayo yuktāstiṣṭhantyabdaśataṁ nṛṇām।
Te tvadīye dvijāḥ kāla adhunā cāśritā maghāḥ॥ Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran (12.2.27-28) and Shri Vishnu Puran, Fourth Part (24.102)
According to the above shloka, the Saptarishis live in one nakshatra for 100 years. When Kaliyug began, the Saptarishis were located in Magha nakshatra.
Yadā devarṣayaḥ sapta maghāsu vicaranti hi।
Tadā pravṛttastu kalir dvādaśābdashatātmakah॥ - Shrimad Bhagwat Mahapuran (12.2.31)
Meaning: When the Saptarishis were roaming in the Magha constellation, Kaliyug started at that time.
Start of Satyayug according to the scriptures
Yadā candraśca sūryaśca tathā tiṣyabṛhaspatī।
Ekarāśau sameṣyanti bhaviṣyati tadā kṛtam॥ -Srimad Bhagwat Mahapuran (12.2.24), Mahabharata Van Parva (190.90-91), Vishnu Puran, Fourth Part (24.102)
When the Moon, Sun and Jupiter will enter the first moment of Pushya Nakshatra at the same time and come to the same zodiac sign, then Satya Yuga will start.
Astrological calculations and the beginning of Satya Yuga -
According to astrological calculations, during this period of 5128 years of Kali Yuga, Saptarishis visited Pushya Nakshatra twice and this astronomical event happened on 1st August 1943 when Moon, Sun and Jupiter entered the first moment of Pushya Nakshatra at the same time. Hence, it is clear that Satya Yuga has started from 1st August 1943.
End of Kali Yuga -
Just like any construction takes a lot of time to build, it also takes some time to destroy it. Similarly, this Kali Yuga lasted for 5000 years and it may take 70-80 years to destroy it. Hence, after getting all these evidences, it is proved with certainty that Kali Yuga has ended.
Conclusion
On the basis of these evidences and scriptures it is clear that the actual age of Kaliyug is 4800 human years and Kaliyug has ended and Satyayug has begun and in a few years the light of the entire Satyayug will spread in the world.
