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 (Manusmriti,
Desdhpandey)
is summarized hereunder -
|
Yuga
|
Main period
|
Sandhya +
Sandhyansh
|
Total Length
|
Multiply by 360 as one divine yr = 360 human yrs
|
|
Krit-yuga
|
4000
|
400
+ 400
|
4800yrs
|
17,28,000
|
|
Treta-yuga
|
3000
|
300
+ 300
|
3600yrs
|
12,96,000
|
|
Dvapara-yuga
|
2000
|
200
+ 200
|
2400yrs
|
8,64,000
|
|
Kali-yuga
|
1000
|
100
+ 100
|
1200yrs
|
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 the 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 the 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 as under –
“65. The Sun divided the day
and night of the devas (gods) and Men. The night is for the sleep of
creatures, and the day is for the performance of works/duties.
67. One full year of men makes
one day and one night of the gods. The northward movement of the Sun (Uttarayan)
is their day, and Southward movement (Dakshinayan) is their night.
69. The KritaYuga (Satyuga) consists of four
thousand years; four hundred such years form the Sandhya and four
hundred such years form the Sandhyansh.
70. Of the remaining three yugas,
the duration of each succeeding Yuga is less than those of its
predecessor by one thousand; it's Sandhya and Sandhyansh, are
respectively less by one hundred years each; thus making the difference of
twelve 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.
(Very similar
verses are also available in chapters 11-13 of 3rd Skandh of Srimad Bhagvada
Mahapurana)
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 progression 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. Nevertheless it 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
the last sixty years, several scholars, sages and scientists have also held
this view. JaggiVasdevJi, Swami Sri YukteswarGiri, PanditBhagwadduttSatyashrava,
Shri K M Ganguli, Shri Richard Thompson and many others, have written books and
articles and have delivered lectures explaining with credible justification
this view of Yuga cycles.
Therefore, a
Chaturyuga may indeed comprise only of 12000 years. Besides, there have to be descending and
ascending cycles of Chaturyuga, with some more years in between. This takes us
to the completion of the 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’bleJaggiVasdevJi
has explained the cycle of four Yugas saying, “The precession, caused
by gradual rotation of the Earth’s axis, of the equinoxes is the 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 for 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. (Sadhguru 2003)
SadhguruJaggiVasudev also relates these descending and ascending sequences 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’bleJaggiVasdevJi has explained this Yuga
cycle connecting it with one complete cycle of precession of Equinoxes by
way of the following image –
Pic. 56: Yuga cycle and precession of Equinoxes explained by
JaggiVasudevJi
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 more
massive star. Sadhguru has also explained that this big star/big system, around
which our solar system is going, is not located in the centre of the orbit. Whenever, our solar system comes closer to this big star,
all the creatures living on planet earth rise to greater possibilities. On the
other hand when our system moves away from it, the creatures living in our
system come to the lowest level of potential. Whenever our solar system
is closer to the “Super Sun,” Satya Yuga will begin. The human mind will then
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
YukteswarGiri 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 inner world (The
Holy Science). 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
YukteswarGiri, Autumnal Equinox was in the first point of Aries around 11501
BCE; thus, the human intellect was at its best at that time, and after that, it
began to diminish. Therefore, by the end of descending Kali Yuga in
around 499 CE (11501 – 12000), it was at its lowest. Thereafter, there were
1200 years of ascending Kali Yuga and currently it is Dwaparayuga
going on.
The precession cycle of Vernal Equinox during last
25920 years
If we look at the principles of modern astronomy, these 12000
years of descending and ascending Chaturyuga cycles have to be replaced by
12960 years each. Twenty-four thousand years of Descending and Ascending Yuga
cycles are to be replaced by 25920 years. The length of a year is to be taken
of 365 days, 5 hours, 48 minutes and 46 seconds, instead of 360 days. Sandhya
or Sandhyansh are meant to give flexibility to the number of years falling
under each Yuga. Some indefinite number of years pass in between the descending
and ascending cycles of Kali Yuga.
Eminent Historian PanditBhagwadduttSatyashrava has
recorded in his book titled ‘BharatvarshkaBrihadItihas’ 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 VikramSamvat. He has also added that Shri Krishna
was born towards the end of Dwapara whereas Kali Era started after his
departure for the Heaven. This was around 3200 years before VikramSamvat, 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” (Satyashrava
2000, 7th chapter, page 163). Shri Satyashrava also expressed
the opinion that in ancient Sanskrit wherever the word sahasrani has been added
to the number of years it normally means approximately
(BharatvarshkaBrihadItihas’ part 2, chapter 11, page 580. He has also given a
very different explanation for the 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 cycles. It needs to be noted that the dating of
astronomical references in Ramayan and Mahabharat, done by making use of
planetarium softwares, has proved his assertions correct. The astronomical
dates of Ramayan relate the Epic to 5100 BCE, whereas the astronomical dates of
Mahabharat relate the events narrated therein to 3100 BCE; a time gap of 2000
years (Satyashrava 2000, 7th
chapter, shri Krishna was born in dwapar and kali kisandhi, page 163).
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 span of Yugas.
Further, if we accept the Chaturyuga cycle of 43,20,000 years, then are we
prepared to declare that Kali Yuga consists of 4,32,000 years, of which
4,27,000 are still left? Are we able to explain what happened during those
9,27,000 years, which would be the time gap between the eras of Shri Ram, who
is said to have lived in TretaYug, and of Shri Krishan, who lived at the end of
Dwaparayuga?
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 domain of
history, to which they in reality belong. Only after that, 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.
Aryabhata had determined the beginning of the Kali era on
19th February, 3012 BCE (Aryabhatia; Gitikapada - 5
&Kalakriyapada – 10). He had written that 3600 years of Kali-era had
elapsed when he completed writing the book at the age of 23.
According to the Surya Sidhanta, Kali Yuga began at
midnight (00:00) on 18th February 3102 BCE. According to the
astronomer and mathematician Aryabhata, the Kali Yuga started in 3102
BCE. He finished his book Aryabhattiyam in 499 CE, in which he
gives the exact year of the beginning of Kali Yuga. He writes that he wrote the
book in the "year 3600 of the Kali Age" at the age of 23. As it was
the 3600th year of the Kali Age when he was 23 years old, and given that
Aryabhata was born in 476 CE, the beginning of the Kali Yuga would come to
(3600 - (476 + 23) + 1 (As only one year elapses between 1 BCE and 1 CE)) =
3102 BCE. (sarojbala.blogspot.in). According to Saha and Lahiri (1955), the
beginning of the Kali era in 3102 BCE, is based on the assumption that the
grand conjunction of the Sun, the Moon and other five planets was seen at the
starting point of Aries. This grand conjunction has actually been displayed by
modern-day Stellarium software on 18th -19th February
3101 BCE (3102 BCE historical year), thus
confirming the traditional belief.
Delhi, India
(28.70°N, 77.20°E). All seven planets at the entry point of Aries
(Mesha) displaying Famous Kali Era
Conjunction on 19th February 3101 BCE at 7.20 AM (Stellarium Sky
shot); Astronomical
date 19th February 3101 and Historical date 19th February
3102
It is therefore earnestly requested that our sages, scholars, and scientists make this
much-needed correction in the concept of Chaturyuga cycles so that 12000 human
years, described in our ancient texts, are not multiplied by 360 days of the
northward and southward movement of the Sun. As a result, the length of the
Chatur Yuga would not be taken as 43,20,000!
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