The Dvāpara Age (Dvāpara Yuga) is the third epoch in the traditional four-stage cosmic cycle (Mahāyuga) in Hindu cosmology, positioned between the Tretā Yuga and the current Kali Yuga.
According to Vedic tradition, this age lasts for 864,000 human years (or 2,400 divine years).
In this era, righteousness (Dharma) is reduced to two quarters, representing a fifty percent decline in truth, purity, and spiritual discipline compared to the golden Satya Yuga.
Humanity becomes increasingly driven by desire, material ambition, and competitive strife, leading to the emergence of disease, suffering, and conflict.
Despite its spiritual decline, the Dvāpara Age is regarded as a pivotal epoch in sacred history.
It is defined by the descent of Lord Vishnu’s eighth avatar, Lord Krishna, and the epic events of the Mahabharata.
It was also during this age that Sage Vedavyasa divided the singular eternal Veda into four distinct collections—Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva—to make sacred knowledge accessible to future generations.
Ritual sacrifices (Yajñas) and temple worship served as the primary means of spiritual progress during this era. The conclusion of the Dvāpara Age, marked by Lord Krishna’s departure from the earthly realm, heralded the beginning of the Kali Yuga.