Concept of Yugas: Interpretations and Clarifications

Concept of Yugas Re-examined: Interpretations and
Clarifications

Description
of Chaturyuga in Human years as well as in Divine years as per
Manusmriti (1/65-71)¹ is summarized as under-         

Yuga	Main period	Sandhya+ Sandhyansh	Total Length	Multiply by 360 as 1 divine yr = 360 human yrs
Krit-yuga	4000	400 + 400	4800 yrs	17,28,000
Treta-yuga	3000	300 + 300	3600 yrs	12,96,000
Dvapara-yuga	2000	200 + 200	2400 yrs	8,64,000
Kali-yuga	1000	100 + 100	1200 yrs	4,32,000
	……….	………………..	……………	……………
Total	10,000	2000	12,000 yrs	43,20,000 yrs.

 

            Many ancient as well modern
scientists and scholars believe that
originally Chaturyuga (Satyuga + Treta + Dwapar + Kaliyuga) was of 12000 human
years only and that also in descending and ascending order with some more years
in between. However sometime in the remote past, it was misinterpreted as
Chaturyuga of divine years. By taking one year of humans as equal to one day of
gods (devas), these 12000 years were multiplied by 360 (180 days of northward
movement + 180 days of southward movement of the Sun). As a result the
Chaturyuga of human years was taken at 43,20,000 years (12000*360 = 43,20,000
years). What could be the justification for applying ‘divine year’ to the humans and that also by multiplying Human
Chaturyuga of 12000 years with the number of days of northward and southward
movement of the Sun?

I looked into Manusmriti to find the
answer. In verses 65, 67, 69-71 of Chapter 1 of Manusmriti, the description of
Chaturyuga is given as under –

“65. The sun
divided the day and night of the devas (gods) and of Men. The night is
for sleep of creatures, and the day is for performance of works / duties.

67. One full
year of men makes one day and one night of the gods. Northward movement of the
Sun (Uttarayan) is their day and Southward movement (Dakshinayan)
is their night.

69.
The Krita yuga (Satyuga) consists of four thousand years; four hundred
such years form the Sandhya and four hundred such years form the Sandhyansha.

 

70.
Of the remaining three yugas, the duration of each succeeding yuga
and its Sandhya and Sandhyansha, are respectively less than those
of its predecessor by one thousand and one hundred years.

71.
Twelve thousand years of such four yugas, as computed before in their order of
enumeration, count as one yuga of the devas i.e. gods.

 

The use of expression, ‘day and night of
gods’ in 1/67, considering 180 days of Northward movement of the Sun as their
day and 180 days  of Southward movement
of the Sun as their night, in some remote past was probably interpreted in the
manner that these 360 days make one day and night of gods. Therefore, 360 human
years were considered as equal to one divine year of gods. Consequently, by
multiplying these 12000 divine years of Chaturyuga with 360, the duration of
Chaturyuga was taken as 43,20,000 human years.

However, since the most ancient times
many scholars and scientists have disagreed with this interpretation, which has
been followed over the years without review/application of mind. More than 2500
years back eminent Sanskrit sage and scholar, Medhatithi had considered this an
error and had put the duration of Chaturyuga at 12000 human years only. During
last sixty years several scholars, sages and scientists have also held this
view. Jaggi Vasdev Ji, Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, Pandit Bhagwaddutt
Satyashrava, Shri K M Ganguli, Shri Richard Thompson and many others, have
written books/articles and delivered lectures explaining with justification this
view of Yuga cycles.

Therefore, actually a Chaturyuga may actually
comprise only of 12000 years. In addition, there have to be descending and
ascending cycles of Chaturyuga, with some more years in between. This takes us
to the completion of precession cycle by Earth in 25920 years, which is
accepted by modern Astronomy! Even Glaciology supports this view and holds that
this might be the seventh such Yuga cycle (seventh Manvantra?) going on.

Hon’ble Jaggi Vasdev Ji has explained
the cycle of four Yugas saying, “The precession (caused
by gradual rotation of the Earth’s axis) of the equinoxes is the period of time
that it takes the Earth’s axis to pass through one complete cycle of the
zodiac. It takes the planet 72 years to pass through one degree of the zodiac
and 25,920 years to complete one full circle of 360 degrees. One half of the
journey takes 12,960 years and covers the four Yugas. Satya Yuga lasts
5184 years. Treta Yuga lasts 3888 years. Dwapara Yuga lasts 2592 years. Kali
Yuga lasts 1296 years. These four yugas taken together come to a total of
12,960 years.” Descending and Ascending cycles of Chaturyugas complete a
cycle of 25920 years^2-3. Sadguru Ji also relates these descending
and ascending cycles of Chaturyugas to downward and upward movement of
human consciousness. The good news is that he believes that currently it is Dvapara
Yuga, and not Kali yuga, and that also in its ascending phase.
Hon’ble Jaggi Vasdev Ji has explained this Yuga cycle connecting it with
one complete cycle of precession of Equinoxes by way of following image –

The solar system, with the Sun and the
planets around it is, moving in the galaxy. It takes 25,920 years for our solar
system to complete one cycle around a larger star. From the effects upon the
planet, we believe this big star or big system that our system is going around
is not located in the center of the orbit but somewhere to the side. Whenever
our solar system comes closer to this big system, all the creatures living in
our system rise to greater possibilities. Whenever our system moves away from
it, the creatures living in our system come to the lowest level of possibility.
Whenever our solar system is closer to the “Super Sun,” Satya Yuga will begin.
The human mind will be at its highest capability. People’s ability to know
life, people’s ability to communicate, people’s ability to live joyfully will
be at its highest.

Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri has explained
the 12000 years of descending and 12000 years of ascending Chaturyuga cycles by
correlating the precession of Equinox with the mental virtues of the internal
world⁴. He has explained that the Sun also revolves around a grand
centre called Vishnunabhi, which is the seat of creative power known as Brahma,
the universal magnetism. When the Sun comes nearest to the Vishnunabhi, which
event takes place when Autumnal Equinox comes to the first point in Aries, the
mental virtues are the most developed; therefore, that would be Sat Yuga. When
Sun goes to the farthest point, it is Kaliyuga. As per Sri Yukteswar Giri,
Autumnal Equinox was in the first point of Aries around 11501 BCE, thus human
intellect was at its best at that time and thereafter it began to diminish.
Therefore, by the end of descending Kali yuga in 499 CE (11501 – 12000),
it was at its lowest. Thereafter there were 1200 years of ascending Kali yuga
and currently it is Dwapara yuga going on.

Pic 57: The
precession cycle of Vernal Equinox and Winter Solstice through the ages
prepared by the modern day astronomers.

Eminent Historian Pandit Bhagwaddutt
Satyashrava has recorded in his book titled ‘Bharatvarsh ka Brihad Itihas’ that
the Era of Lord Ram was in the Sandhi period of Treta and Dwapara and this
could be around 5200 years before the beginning of Vikram Samvat. He has also
added that Shri Krishna was born towards the end of Dwapara and Kali Era
started after his mahanirvan. This was around 3200 years before Vikram Samvat,
thus giving a gap of just about 2000 years between Ramayan and Mahabharat Eras.
Shri Satyashrava had emphatically added that “Treta and Dwapara Eras certainly
did not consist of lakhs of years” ⁵. He has also given a very
different explanation for elucidation of the gap between descending and ascending
cycle of Chaturyugas, which aims at explaining the meaning of Devyuga
alias Divyayuga and also aims at reconciling cycle of 24000 years with
25920 years. He has referred to the extracts from the text of Ramayan and
Mahabharat, wherein reference has been made to Devyuga prevailing prior to Krityuga.
He has also said that there could be some extra years between Descending and
Ascending cycles⁵. It needs to be taken note that the dating of
astronomical references in Ramayan and Mahabharat, done by making use of
planetarium softwares, has proved his assertions correct. Ramayan astronomical
dates relate the Epic to 5100 BCE whereas astronomical dates of Mahabharat
relate the events narrated therein to 3100 BCE; a time gap of 2000 years⁶.

It needs to be taken note of that in
all these ancient time-reckoning calculations length of a year was taken as 360
days whereas actually it is 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds. This
difference in the length of the year would also require adjustment in the
length of Yugas. Further, if we accept the Chaturyuga cycle of 43,20,000 years,
then are we prepared to declare that Kaliyuga consists of 4,32,000
years, of which 4,27,000 are still left? Are we able to explain what happened
during 9,27,000 years, which would be the time gap between the eras of Shri
Ram, who is said to have lived in Treta Yug, and of Shri Krishan, who lived in
the end of Dwapara yuga?

We therefore make a very humble
request to the sages and scholars to review the traditional interpretation of Chaturyuga
and bring back Ramayan and Mahabharat from the realm of mythology to the realm
of history, to which they actually belong. Only thereafter, we shall be able to
make a rightful claim that India’s civilization is the oldest in the world during
the current Holocene period and that Aryans were the originals of India who
have been developing indigenous Vedic civilization for thousands of years.

References

1.    Manusmrti
(Text with Kullukbhatta Commenatary, English Translation, Sloka Index and Word
Index), by Maitreyee Deshpande, New Bhartiya Book Corporation, Delhi

2.   ‘Mystic’s
Musings’ by Sadhguru Jaggi Vasudev; first published in 2003 by Wisdom Tree

3.     https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eaHVNQwO68E

4.   ‘The Holy Science’ by
Sri Sri Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri; Yogoda Satsang Society of   India. Pg. 9-24

5.     Bharatvarsh ka Brihad Ithihas (Comprehensive
History of India) by Pandit Bhagavaddutt Satyashrava. 2000; New Delhi, Pranav
Prakashan, Part 1- Pg 80, 163

6.    Seminar and Exhibition
on Cultural Continuity from Rigveda to Robotics, 3-4 Feb, 2016 G.J University
of Science and Technology, Hisar – http://sarojbala.blogspot.in/2017/05/blog-post.html
, http://bit.ly/2FDUCNd