Dwapara Yuga

What is Dwapara Yuga?

Hindu texts describe four yugas (world ages)⁠ in a Yuga Cycle, where, starting in order from the first age of Krita (Satya) Yuga, each yuga’s length decreases by one-fourth (25%), giving proportions of 4:3:2:1.

Each yuga is described as having a main period (a.k.a. yuga proper) preceded by its yuga-sandhyā (dawn) and followed by its yuga-sandhyāṃśa (dusk)⁠, where each twilight (dawn/dusk) lasts for one-tenth (10%) of its main period.

Lengths are given in divine years (years of the gods), each lasting for 360 solar (human) years.

Dvapara Yuga, in Hindu Cosmology, is the third and third best of the four yugas (world ages) in a Yuga Cycle, preceded by Treta Yuga and followed by Kali Yuga.

Dvapara Yuga (Sanskrit: द्वापर युग, romanized: dvāparayuga or dvāpara-yuga), sometimes spelled Dwapara Yuga, means “the age of two”, where its length is two times that of Kali Yuga, and the Dharma bull, which symbolises morality, stands on two legs during this period.

What was the duration & structure of Dwapara Yuga?

Dwapara Yuga, the third age in a cycle, lasts for 864,000 years (2,400 divine years), where its main period lasts for 720,000 years (2,000 divine years) and its two twilights each lasts for 72,000 years (200 divine years).

The current cycle’s Dwapara Yuga has the following dates based on Kali Yuga, the fourth and present age, starting in 3102 BCE.

What are the characteristics of Dwapara Yuga?

According to the Puranas, this yuga ended when Lord Krishna returned to his eternal abode of Vaikuntha.

There are only two pillars of religion during the Dwapara Yuga: compassion and truthfulness.

Lord Vishnu assumes the colour yellow and the Vedas are categorised into four parts: Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda and Atharva Veda.

During these times, the Brahmins are knowledgeable of two or three of these but rarely studied all four Vedas thoroughly.

Accordingly, because of this categorization, different actions and activities come into existence.

During Dvapara Yuga, people were said to have possessed more knowledge and power compared to the previous age called Treta Yuga.

In this age, there were great sages and wise beings who performed amazing feats and extraordinary abilities.

They could communicate with gods and perform miracles. People lived longer lives and enjoyed a higher level of prosperity.

However, as Dvapara Yuga progressed, people’s virtues started declining. Greed, selfishness, and dishonesty began to take hold in society. The world became more materialistic as people focused on accumulating wealth rather than seeking spiritual growth.

It is important to remember that these yugas are not literal time periods but symbolic representations of different stages in human consciousness and behaviour throughout history.

Overall, Dwapara Yuga was an era filled with both greatness and challenges.

It serves as a reminder for us today about the importance of maintaining our virtues and striving for spiritual growth amidst the changing times we live in.