The four yugas are Satya Yuga (Krita Yuga in the texts), Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga and Kali Yuga. According to the Manusmriti (1.69-71) and the Vishnu Purana (1.3.12) they last 4,000, 3,000, 2,000 and 1,000 divine years in turn, and each has a dawn before it and a dusk after it of as many hundred years; together the four make 12,000 divine years. A divine year is 360 human years (Vishnu Purana 6.3.10), so the four yugas together last 4,320,000 human years (Surya Siddhanta 1.15).
| # | Name | Divine years (with dawn and dusk) | Human years | Dharma (Manusmriti 1.81-82) | Chief practice (Manusmriti 1.86) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Satya YugaKrita Yuga | 4,800 (4,000 + dawn 400 + dusk 400) | 1,728,000 | All four feet, whole; truth as well | Austerity (tapas) |
| 2 | Treta Yuga | 3,600 (3,000 + 300 + 300) | 1,296,000 | Three feet | Knowledge (jnana) |
| 3 | Dvapara Yuga | 2,400 (2,000 + 200 + 200) | 864,000 | Two feet | Sacrifice (yajna) |
| 4 | Kali Yuga | 1,200 (1,000 + 100 + 100) | 432,000 | One foot | Giving (dana) |
What a divine year is
According to the Manusmriti (1.67) a human year is one day and night of the gods: the northern course of the sun (uttarayana) is their day and the southern course (dakshinayana) their night; the Vishnu Purana (1.3.10) says the same. Three hundred and sixty such days and nights make a year of the gods (Vishnu Purana 6.3.10, Surya Siddhanta 1.14), and 12,000 divine years make one chaturyuga, which the Surya Siddhanta (1.15) gives as 4,320,000 solar years.
The dawn and dusk of a yuga
Each yuga is preceded by its dawn (sandhya) and followed by its dusk (sandhyamsha), each of as many hundred years as the yuga has thousands (Manusmriti 1.69-70; Vishnu Purana 1.3.13). The time between the dawn and the dusk is what is called the yuga (Vishnu Purana 1.3.14). The Bhagavata (3.11.18-20) gives the same count: the chaturyuga is 12,000 divine years, the yugas 4, 3, 2 and 1 thousand in turn, and the twilights twice as many hundreds.
Beyond the yugas: manvantara and kalpa
A thousand chaturyugas are one day of Brahma, and his night is as long (Manusmriti 1.72; Vishnu Purana 1.3.15; Bhagavata 3.11.22). According to the Manusmriti (1.79) 71 chaturyugas make one manvantara, and the Vishnu Purana (1.3.16) says there are fourteen Manus in one day of Brahma.
When the Kali Yuga began
The Vishnu Purana (4.24.113) and the Bhagavata (12.2.33) both say that the Kali Yuga began on the day Krishna left this world. Both also say that the Krita Yuga comes again after the Kali Yuga (Vishnu Purana 4.24.115; Bhagavata 12.2.34).
Where the sources differ
- Name: the Manusmriti (1.69), the Vishnu Purana (1.3.15) and the Bhagavata (3.11.18) call the first yuga Krita; Satya Yuga is the everyday name. The Manusmriti (1.81) says that in the Krita Yuga dharma stands whole on its four feet, and so does truth.
- Human years: the Manusmriti gives the lengths of the yugas only in divine years. The factor of 360 is from the Vishnu Purana (6.3.10) and the Surya Siddhanta (1.14), and the figure 4,320,000 is stated outright in the Surya Siddhanta (1.15).
- The length of Kali: the Vishnu Purana (4.24.114-115) gives the Kali Yuga as 360,000 human years and 1,200 divine years. 360,000 years equal 1,000 divine years without the dawn and dusk; the 1,200 divine years with them come to 432,000 human years.
- Manvantara: the Manusmriti (1.79) says 71 chaturyugas, the Vishnu Purana (1.3.18) ‘a little over seventy-one’, and the Surya Siddhanta (1.18) adds at the end of each manvantara a junction (sandhi) as long as a Krita Yuga.
Frequently asked questions
What are the names of the four yugas?
Satya Yuga (Krita Yuga), Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga and Kali Yuga, in this order (Manusmriti 1.86, Vishnu Purana 1.3.15, Bhagavata 3.11.18).
How long is each yuga?
With their twilights, Satya Yuga lasts 4,800, Treta 3,600, Dvapara 2,400 and Kali 1,200 divine years (Manusmriti 1.69-70). Counting a divine year as 360 human years, these are 1,728,000, 1,296,000, 864,000 and 432,000 human years in turn (Surya Siddhanta 1.14-17).
How many years does the Kali Yuga last?
1,000 divine years with a dawn and a dusk of 100 years each, 1,200 divine years in all (Manusmriti 1.69-70). In human years that is 432,000. The Vishnu Purana (4.24.114) gives it as 360,000 human years, which equals 1,000 divine years without the twilights.
How many human years make a divine year?
360. A human year is one day and night of the gods (Manusmriti 1.67), and 360 such days and nights make a year of the gods (Vishnu Purana 6.3.10, Surya Siddhanta 1.14).
How long are the four yugas together?
12,000 divine years, called a chaturyuga or a yuga of the gods (Manusmriti 1.71); in human years 4,320,000 (Surya Siddhanta 1.15). A thousand such chaturyugas are one day of Brahma (Manusmriti 1.72).
When did the Kali Yuga begin?
According to the Vishnu Purana (4.24.113) and the Bhagavata (12.2.33), on the very day Krishna left this world.
What is the chief practice of each yuga?
According to the Manusmriti (1.86): austerity in the Satya Yuga, knowledge in the Treta, sacrifice in the Dvapara and giving in the Kali Yuga.
Sources
- Manusmriti 1.67-86 (Sanskrit text, GRETIL)
- Vishnu Purana 1.3.9-18, 4.24.107-115 and 6.3.9-11 (Sanskrit text, GRETIL)
- Bhagavata Purana 3.11.18-22 and 12.2.29-34 (Sanskrit text, GRETIL)
- Surya Siddhanta 1.13-19 (Sanskrit text, GRETIL)
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