The Four Yugas

The Four Yugas

This article relates to Age of Vice

Deepti Kapoor’s novel Age of Vice takes its title from the Hindu term Kali Yuga. In Hindu scripture and mythology, humanity is destined to cycle repeatedly through four great eras, known as yugas. Opinions as to the length of a single cycle (Kalpa) vary greatly — from around four million to four billion years — suffice to say, essentially an immeasurably long time in human terms.

Each of the four yugas has a different character. The first of these, the Satya Yuga (the Age of Truth) is often described as humanity’s golden age, a period of "truth, virtue and righteousness." Also known as Krita Yuga, it’s considered the age of perfection, a time when all humankind lives in harmony with each other and with nature, and war does not exist. Every person is enlightened, and the majority of their time is spent in meditation. People are fearless and content, and have no sorrow or concern for material gain. During Satya Yuga, the Dharma bull, the Hindu representation of morality, stands on four legs representing austerity, cleanliness, mercy and truth.

Satya Yuga gradually gives way to Treta Yuga, humanity’s silver age. The term translates into "The Age of Three," or "Three Collections," in part referring to the three incarnations of Lord Vishnu that arise during the era, but also referring to the Dharma bull, which stands on three legs (absent austerity) during this period. In Treta Yuga, divisions begin to arise within society, but nevertheless at the beginning of the yuga there is no envy; people work cooperatively for the good of all, and it is a time of peace and prosperity. As the yuga progresses, however, people become less spiritual and more focused on material wealth, and war becomes more frequent.

The next yuga in the cycle is Dvapara or Dwapara Yuga ("Two Ahead") — society’s bronze age — and throughout this epoch humanity becomes more selfish and irreligious. People lose trust in their neighbors and leaders, and they begin to abuse the natural world. The Dharma bull walks on two legs (only mercy and truth remain). The events depicted in the Mahabharata (an ancient Sanskrit poem about India’s history and moral law) are said to have occurred during the last Dvapara Yuga, and the era ended when Krishna left Earth to return to his eternal home.

The final epoch in the Kapla — and the one humanity is currently experiencing — is Kali Yuga, the Age of Vice. This is a time of darkness and violence, when people are consumed by selfishness and materialism. The Dharma Bull is down to just one leg (representing truth), and even that erodes as the age progresses. The photo at the top is of Kedareshwar Cave Temple at Harishchandragad in India's Ahmednagar district. Some believe the temple's four pillars symbolize the four yugas, with only one pillar, for the Kali Yuga, remaining; click the image to see in more detail.

Photo by Avinash Rohra

Filed under Places, Cultures & Identities

This "beyond the book article" relates to Age of Vice. It originally ran in January 2023 and has been updated for the January 2024 paperback edition. Go to magazine.

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