Textual and epigraphic evidence of Dharma Yuga (part 4)

Part 1- Divya and Dharma - the two sides of the Yuga classification

Part 2-  Two types of Yugas

Part 3 - Dharma as the basis of Yuga classification.

Part 4 -  Textualand epigraphic evidence of Dharma yuga

All the above parts in a single paper in academia can be downloaded HERE

There are two evidences to show that Dharma yuga classification of Krita, Treta, Dwapara and Kali was in vogue until a few centuries ago. One is deduced from the commentaries given by Naccinārkkiniyar and Ilampuranar to the Sangam age Grammar book Tolkāppiyam. Another is found in the Cholan inscriptions discovered at Tiruvalangadu.

Evidence from Tol Kappiyam.

Taking up the first, two sutras in Porul Adhikaram of Tol Kappiyam, had been interpreted in terms of Yuga differences. These sutras speak about the ritual of marriage. Of them verse 142 of Porul Adhikaram says,

“There was a time when the 4^th varna also had marriage rituals like the first three varnas”

Then verse 143 says,

“Once lies and cheating started setting in, marriage rituals were laid out by Iyer (Brahmins)”

These two verses have been the eye of the storm for many passionate debates in the past, but what everyone ignored was that there was reference to Yuga dharma behind these verses which the two ancient commentators (who lived 1000 years ago) had mentioned. (Others also might have written, but I am quoting only these two, as I have read only these two)

The first one (V:142) was interpreted to mean that at some time the past there were no differences between the Varnas and all had the same kind of marriage customs. The marriage rituals were common for all. Or perhaps they were absent. The two commentators call that age as the ‘First oozhi’!

Oozhi means deluge and it is also interpreted as Yuga in Tamil lexicons. In the 1^st Yuga that is., Krita yuga, there were no differences in terms of varna, no differences between Vedas and people led a dharmic life without selfish motives. In such scenario, there was no need for a ritual of marriage as the couple in love with each other were sincere and honest in their commitment to each other. Such was the Yuga dharma of Krita.

In the 2^nd verse (V:143) it is said that in due course lies and offences started creeping in. The commitment to each other was breached for reasons of sorts and relationships were not honoured. This necessitated sages to devise rituals for all the varnas so that the couple would be forced to make a sort of promise in front of everyone to remain committed to each other. The commentators say that this happened in 2^nd Oozhi, that is, Treta Yuga.

This idea has a parallel with marriage rituals of Grihya sutras. This also reminds us of the narrations in old texts on the absence of restriction in relationship between man and woman, though married to someone else. The case of Brihaspati desiring Mamata when she was carrying Dhirgatamas looks like an incident of that yuga or happening at the time of decline of Krita yuga and becoming Treta Yuga. Dhirgatamas also was found to have done a breach of the same kind that resulted in the birth of Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Pundara etc who went on to found kingdoms in their names.

When transgressions started to take place, rules were laid down by means of rituals as a kind of agreement between the couple. The commentary to Tol Kappiyam verses show that this marked the arrival of Treta yuga. In Treta yuga, Rama stood as an epitome virtue in honouring the marriage vow. Not only that, he emulated every kind of virtue such that he came to be known as “Dharmavan vigraha”. Dharma in full form is an identity of Krita Yuga where Dharma stood in all four feet. Rama was an embodiment of Krita yuga Dharma but lived in Treta Yuga.

For our discourse, we cannot miss out the fact that the yuga classification in vogue about 1000 years ago as known from the commentators of Tol Kappiyam was not in terms of lakhs of years, but only in terms of Dharma – the dharma spoken in this context was that of honouring a lifelong commitment of togetherness between a male and a female. In Krita yuga that commitment existed without any formal promises. In Treta yuga formal promises were made. In Dwapara Yuga, such formal promises were made to many. In Kali yuga promises are no guarantee for non- cheating.

Evidence of 4 yugas in Cholan inscription.

Evidence from the Vaishnavite chronicles was cited earlier on how a brief period of Dwapara yuga was experienced during the reign of Pallavas when four Azhwars lived. Few centuries after them, the Cholan king Rajendra Chola-I came to power in whose name a grant was given. The inscription delivering this grant gives the genealogy of Cholas and also says after whose rule the respective yuga got ended.  The genealogy contains a split-up of the four yugas with the names of kings spread out in those yugas. Interestingly, the Cholas claim descent from the same ancestry of Rama! So it is possible to compare the Cholan lineage of Kings with that of Rama given in Valmiki Ramayana and find out where or after whom the yuga has changed.

Both the lineages are given below in a tabular form with yuga endings (as given in the inscription) highlighted. The full text of the inscriptions can be read here.

RAMA	CHOLA
Brahma
Mariichi
Kaashyapa
Sun	Sun
Manu	Manu
Ikshvaku	Ikshvaku
Kukshi
Vikukshi	Vikukshi
Baana	Puranjaya (Kakutstha)
Anaranya	Kakshivat
	Aryyama
	Analapratapa
	Vena
Prithu	Prithu
Trishanku
Dhundumara	Dhundumara
Yavanasva	Yavanasva
Mandhata	Mandhatri
Susandhi	Muchukunda
Dhruvasandhi	Valabha Pritulaksha Parthivachudamani Dirghabahu Chandrajit Samkriti END of KRITA YUGA Panchapa Satyavrata (Rudrajit) Usinara Sibi Marutta Dushyanta
Bharata	Bharata
Asita	Chola (founded Chola dynasty)
Sagara	Rajakesari
Asamanja	Parakesari
Amshuman	Chitraratha
Dilipa	Chitrasva
Bhageerata (brought Ganga)	Chitradhanvan (brought Kavery) ((V. 35.) Having come to know that king Bhagiratha engrossed in penance brought down (from heaven) the river of gods (i.e., Ganga) (to earth), this king (also) desirous to fame brought her (i.e., Ganga) to his dominions under the name Kaverakanyaka (i.e., Kaveri).)
Kakutstha	Suraguru
Raghu	Vyghraketu
Pravriddha
Shankana
Sudharshana
Agnivarsna
Shiigraga
Maru
Prashushruka
Ambariisha
Nahusha
Yayati
Naabhaga
Aja
Dasaratha
Rama
	END of TRETA YUGA
	Narendrapati
	Vasu (Uparichara)
	END of DWAPARA YUGA
	Perunatkilli
	Karikala
	Kocchengannan

The table shows that Krita yuga was counted from a decipherable time scale in Bharatavarsha.

Krita Yuga

Manu, Ikshvaku and Prithu belonged to the Krita Yuga. A narration in Mahabharata (12-29) says that the earth yielded crops without being tilled in Pritu’s times. That is exactly the nature of Krita yuga.

In Krita yuga food was available without being cultivated. As time went by scarcity came up and there arose a need to cultivate food crops, but even then there was minimal or nil efforts like breaking the ground. That was Treta yuga.

But when that also failed to satisfy the needs of the people, efforts like ploughing the ground were done. That marks Dwapara yuga where Balarama stood as a symbol of ushering in that culture.

Kali yuga is marked by scarcity of food inspite of intense cultivation leading to methods not found in Nature to procure food.

Cultivation pattern in Krita and Treta yuga supported by rice genetics.

Currently inputs from archaeo-botanical studies on rice genetics in India are available. There is scope to deduce when planned cultivation started and when rice was available in nature. There is evidence of naturally occurring wild rice since 20,000 before present in the eastern part of Asia that includes China and Sundaland (includes Malaysia and Indonesia). In India, South east Tamilnadu with adjoining North West Srilanka and eastern parts of North India are found to have produced naturally occurring wild rice.

In the figure below, the regions marked as P had produced wild rice since 20,000 years BP.

Fuller:2011. Map of wild rice zones since 20,000 BP  (marked as P) in comparion to expansion since 9,000 BP (marked as H). Recent populations are marked in crosses and circles.

If naturally occurring rice (food) that grows without effort is an evidence of Krita yuga, its occurrence was very minimal in Bharatavarsha, and confined to SE Tamilnadu. (Rice is a marker of Vedic culture as it is offered in yajnas)

It was only from the times of 8^th to 6^th millennium BCE we find evidence of domesticated rice Oryza sativa, showing signs of planned cultivation. Planned cultivation with little effort is a feature of Treta Yuga.

Regions of domesticated rice are shown in the figure below.

In the above figure, Lahuradewa in trans-Sarayu region shows signs of rice cultivation between 6^th to 5^th millennium BCE.

In Koldihwa and Mahagara (both in Allahabad district), rice domestication is found at three different levels between 8^th and 6^th Millenium BCE (7505 -7033, 6190 – 5764, 5432- 5051) (sources here and here)

From this we can say that the upper limit of Treta Yuga was 8^th millennium BCE and lower limit was 5^th millennium BCE. Within this period Vindhya- Ganga- Ghaghara region was producing rice with not much effort. Ikshvakus of Sarayu, Kushikas of Vishwamitra, Jamadagni and his son Parashurama were living in these regions.

Junction of Krita and Treta yuga

In the above table there is a long gap between Dhruvasandhi and Bharata in Rama’s lineage within which many kings had come up in Cholan lineage though the first Chola had not yet appeared in this period. But Krita Yuga ended in this period, that is before Bharata (son of Dushyanta) and after Dhruvasandhi.

The name Dhruvasandhi seems to convey some hidden meaning as it occurs before the end of Krita yuga. Does his name signify a period when the earth’s axis was pointing to a region in the sky in between two pole stars? Or was there a switch over from one pole star to another at that time? Or did that mark the end of Krita Yuga? More research is needed on all these. 

Dharma of Treta Yuga

Cholan inscription shows that Sibi, Dushyanta and Bharata belonged to Treta Yuga. Interestingly the Tol Kappiyam’s notion on marriage rituals applies to all these three.

Sibi was born to Madhavi who was given in marriage to four different kings for the sake of fulfilling a promise of someone (Gavala) unconnected with her, to whom Madhavi’s father had given a word. After getting a child in each marriage she returned to her father, again becoming eligible for a marriage she liked. Marriage ritual was in place in her times (Treta Yuga) but travesty has happened. It shows the struggle to come to terms with adherence to marriage promises.

Dushyanta who was in love with Shakuntala breached the trust she had in him. The decline from Krita yuga dharma of trust can be noticed here. Finally Dushyanta realised his mistake and accepted Shakuntala and his son born to her. He decided to ‘cherish’ the child and hence the child came to be known as Bharata – the name given to our country, for, our country is also being cherished by Dharma (of Vedas).

Bharata married three women and got nine children from them, but he did not accept any of them, for, they were not like him. One of them was Chola – as known from the genealogy in the inscription. He seemed to have left home and came far down to South and established a country of his own in Pumpukar which was known as Sambapati at that time (where Sambu devi / Jambhu devi of Jambhu Dweepa did her penance in a remote past). The Cholans prided in calling themselves as Sembians – descendants of Sibi! Perhaps the harsh treatment at the hands of his father Bharata made Chola shun his memory but cling on to Sibi, an earlier king as a role-model. For our analysis we find transgression was committed by Bharata also, in marriage vows.

Ganga and Kavery brought out in Treta Yuga.

Bhageeratha brought down Ganga from the Himalayas in Treta Yuga. A reference to him in the inscription says that the Cholan king Chitadhanvan was inspired by him in getting Kavery from Kodagu to his land at Pumpukar.

It is in the same yuga Rama was born. With Rama, Treta Yuga ended. It seems no kings of great fame were there around the times of Rama in the Cholan dynasty. In a correlation we find reference to Pandyan king in the narration of Sugreeva in Valmiki Ramayana and not any king of Cholan dynasty. Perhaps Cholas were subdued around that time by Pandyans.

Dwapara Yuga

By the time of Rama, decline of Dharma started setting in as known from the episode involving Sambuka in Uttara khanda. After Rama, Treta Yuga declined and Dwapara started.  In Cholan geneology not many famous kings were there during that period.

Kali yuga

The name Perunatkilli appearing in Kali yuga followed by Karikal Chola shows that Kali yuga in Dharmic scale had started only 2000 years ago. In this context a word on Manu neeti Cholan must be told here. This king, praised as having followed the rule of Law of Manu of Krita Yuga, did not find mention in the genealogy of the above inscription. Even his original name is not told anywhere. We come to know of him mainly from Silappadhikaram, a post Sangam text.

Dharma of Manu neeti Chola

Looking for reasons why his reign cannot be considered as Krita in Kali yuga, there are clues to the contrary.

This king finds mention in Mahavamsa (Ch 21), a Buddhist text. This king’s history is recounted in that text in the context of a fight with King Dutthagamini of Anuradhapura. The episode on execution of his son for giving justice to a cow is also mentioned in this text.

Bell and cow of Manu Neeti Cholan

Other episodes of such extraordinary action, not known to Tamils are also found mentioned in that chapter of Mahavamsa. The name of the king is given as “Elara” belonging to 3^rd / 2^nd century BCE. In local folklore in Srilanka he is known as “Ellalan”. This sounds like Ellavan (a Tamil word) which is another name for Sun. This name looks plausible as the Cholas belonged to Solar dynasty.

The main part of his life that remains unknown in Tamil lands is that this king lost a war with Dutthagamini by whom he was killed in the war field near Anuradhapura. The 25th chapter of Mahavamsa gives details of this war and on how this king was cremated with honours as a mark of respect for his sense of justice. A stupa also was erected at the place of cremation and he was worshiped at the time Mahavamsa was written.

Till mid-1800s the above stupa known as Dakshina Stupa was considered as Elara’s tomb.

On coming to know of the demise of the king, the king’s nephew, the heir-apparent to the throne went to Anuradhapura. He spurned calls for truce but died on the war front. In this backdrop, one can imagine the gloom and turmoil in the Cholan lands at that time, which means difficulties in establishing Dharma in all spheres.

Though he followed Manu neeti in punishing his son, the fact remains that the land lost a legitimate heir to the throne. The next-in-line was also lost in a war in foreign land. There was a crisis to the throne and danger from external aggression. Under such conditions, only Kali yuga dharma could have prevailed. The absence of this king’s name in the genealogy could perhaps be due to troubled times that followed his tenure. It is unfortunate this king didn’t live long to give a Dharmic rule.

Start of Kali yuga in Bharatavarsha.

After the decline of Indus- Saraswathi civilization, many people of Dvaraka region along with Vel, Velir etc (ploughing community inspired by Balarama of Dwapara yuga) had migrated to Tamil lands. The Dharma they followed formed the focus of many poems of Purananauru (Sangam text). The last of them were Adyaman, Paari etc. Once they were eliminated, no more kings were there to establish the rule of higher yuga. Kali Yuga had set in around that time.

Using the same scale one can analyse the dynasties of north India in pre-Common Era to know the level of Yuga dharma. But Kali settled down in full force in Bharatavarsha during invasions in the last 1000 years. It seems to have reached the breaking limit of 3/4^th Adharma in the present times.

It cannot grow any further, as 1/4^th of Dharma is still firm in this land. At this stage we find a gradual awakening among people of all sides desiring the rule of Dharma in this land and willing to push out Adharma. As this happens gradually, 1/4^th Dharma of Kali would start growing more and more until it reaches its full strength.

Recalling the words of  Vishnu Purana (4-24),

“.. the minds of those who live at the end of the Kali age shall be awakened, and shall be as pellucid as crystal. The men who are thus changed by virtue of that peculiar time shall be as the seeds of human beings, and shall give birth to a race who shall follow the laws of the Krita age, or age of purity.”

There is hope at the end of the tunnel. It is Time that makes Yugas. It is time that makes Kali. More and more people becoming aware is also the play of Kali. Time and Dharma cannot be separated. 

Conclusion.

In any reference to a yuga, one must look at its context, whether referring to Divya yuga or Dharma Yuga and make a rational and realistic assessment of span of life and span of yuga under consideration. The Dharma yuga also follows the same order like Divya yuga from Krita to Kali, though there is absolutely no specific time limit given by any sages anywhere in the texts for the duration of each of the Yuga in Dharma scale. The incidents of overlap of other yugas within a yuga shows that such rigid span of a yuga was not supported by the sages. The rigid span is only applicable to Divya yugas.

The Yuga is only assessed by the measure of Dharma for human beings. Though one can experience yugas of higher Dharma even in this Kali yuga by means of thought, word, action and satsang, it is for those fortunate few to enjoy the higher Dharma. For, the decider of the Yuga is the king – in today’s conditions, the rule of Law. That has an overpowering effect on our lives in this Bharata varsha.

Salutations to our sages for the knowledge of yugas given to us through which we strive to shed darkness to attain Light.    

Dharma as the basis of Yuga classification. (Part 3)

Part 1- Divya and Dharma - the two sides of the Yuga classification

Part 2-  Two types of Yugas

Part 3 - Dharma as the basis of Yuga classification.

Part 4 -  Textualand epigraphic evidence of Dharma Yuga

All the above parts in a single paper in academia can be downloaded HERE

Yuga Dharma as basis for Human time scale

At several places, after the narration on Divya Yugas, the narrator switches over the Dharmic levels of different yugas. Dharma stands on all 4 legs in Krita, on 3 legs in Treta, on 2 legs in Dwapara and on only one leg in Kali yuga. The entry of a yuga is also known by the symptoms of degeneration of Dharma. For example, even though the Kali Maha Yuga of the Devas started after the exit of Krishna, the entry of Kali Purusha was stalled by Parikshit who allowed only a few sinful activities to take place. This gives rise to the opinion that (1) the exact entry date of a yuga is negotiable and (2) dharma is an indicator of yuga.

The entry date of a yuga of the Devas is non-negotiable as we know from the Sankalpa mantras. But Dharma is not fixed at all times. It oscillates thereby giving a leeway for a yuga to extend or retract. Before going into further details, let us know about a major feature associated with the end of a Divya yuga which is absent in other references to a switch over form one yuga to another.

This feature is the calamitous end witnessed at the end of a Yuga.

End of the Yuga – conflicting references.

At several places in Mahabharata we come across a description of fire, described as universal fire, samvartaka fire or Yuga fire. (MB 6-59, 7-198) This is also followed by a roar of clouds and universal floods (MB 7-142). Bheeshma describes a phenomenal fire engulfing all the worlds at the end of 1000 yugas, that is, at the end of a kalpa (MB 12-47).

Fire and deluge

The nature of fire is deduced from the reference to 2 blazing suns witnessed at the end of a yuga. Whenever two personalities were afflicted by weapons or in war with each other Mahabharata compares them with the 2 blazing suns at the end of a yuga.

(1) Krishna and Arjuna, afflicted by the arrows of Ashwatthama looked like 2 blazing suns seen at the end of a yuga (MB 8-17).

(2) Bheema and Ashvatthama looked so (MB 8-15)

(3) Nakula and Karna looked so (MB 8-24)

(4) Karna and Arjuna looked like 2 planets that arose for the destruction of the world at the end of the yuga (MB 8-87)

An understanding of what the 2^nd sun stands for is known from the passage that describes the war between Yudhidhthira and Shalya. The blazing dart hurled by Yudhishthira at Shalya looked “like a large meteor falling from the skies at the end of the Yuga.” (MB 9-17)

This solves mystery of 2 suns at the end of the yuga. One of them is the sun. The other is an asteroid or meteor falling on the earth. It catches fire on falling and looks like a sun. An asteroid blazing like a sun must be huge in size and its impact will be felt globally.

This kind of catastrophic end of a yuga is not found in some other descriptions on the end of yuga!

Smooth transition between yugas.

In the passages describing the advent of Kalki Avatara, we find a smooth transition from Kali yuga to Krita yuga! There is no yuga fire or yuga flood or death and destruction at the end of this Kali yuga. Instead there is reference to reclamation of values and ethics thereby heralding the Krita yuga. The destruction is only of those that are causing the decay in Dharma.

Vishnu Purana 3-2 says, “ ..at the end of the Kali or fourth age he (Vishnu) appears as Kalki, and reestablishes the iniquitous in the paths of rectitude.” 

Vishnu Purana 4-24 says, “By his irresistible might he (Kalki) will destroy all the Mlechchhas and thieves, and all whose minds are devoted to iniquity. He will then reestablish righteousness upon earth; and the minds of those who live at the end of the Kali age shall be awakened, and shall be as pellucid as crystal. The men who are thus changed by virtue of that peculiar time shall be as the seeds of human beings, and shall give birth to a race who shall follow the laws of the Krita age, or age of purity.”

 The same is echoed in Mahabharata in the words of sage Markandeya to Yudhsihthira (MB 3-189-190). He says that at the end of Kali yuga, Kalki will be born and

“he will restore order and peace in this world crowded with creatures and contradictory in its course. And that blazing Brahmana of mighty intellect, having appeared, will destroy all things. And he will be the Destroyer of all, and will inaugurate a new Yuga. And surrounded by the Brahmanas, that Brahmana will exterminate all the mlecchas wherever those low and despicable persons may take refuge.

Having exterminated the thieves and robbers, Kalki will, at a great Horse-sacrifice, duly give away this earth to the Brahmanas, and having established anew the blessed rectitude ordained by the Self-create, Kalki, of sacred deeds and illustrious reputation, will enter a delightful forest, and the people of this earth will imitate his conduct, and when the Brahmanas will have exterminated the thieves and robbers, there will be prosperity everywhere on earth.”

The entire basis of this transition is DHARMA!

Basis of Yuga Dharma

The transgression of Dharma had happened many times in the past leading to overlapping of yugas. How was order restored in those times? A question similar to this was raised by Yudhishthira to Bheeshma in Mahabharata 12-139. In reply to this, Bheeshma quotes a dialogue between Sauvira king Satrunjaya and sage Bharadwaja.

Sauvira belongs to the Sindhu (Indus) region – the region that is now proved beyond doubt to have been a manufacturing and trading hub at the time of and after Mahabharata. Interestingly true to the nature of this region, Satrunjaya asked about the science of Profit! The questions included everything connected with trade, like acquiring an object, increasing the object, protecting the object and using the object leading to the generation of profits. How to get them all done? Bharadwaja’s reply is simple – establishment of the rod of chastisement of the king!

When the king is Dharmic, everything will fall in line.

100%  of it makes Krita yuga, 3/4^th of it makes Treta yuga, ½ of it makes Dwapara yuga and ¼ th of it makes Kali yuga.

Ruler / king decides the Yuga.

Following are the references to Yuga being decided by the conduct (dharma) of the king (and therefore the people).

'O bull of Bharata's race, that Krita, Treta, Dwapara, and Kali, as regards their setting in, are all dependent on the king's conduct.'  (MB: Shanti parva -140)

'Whether it is the king that makes the age, or, it is the age that makes the king, is a question about which thou shouldst not entertain any doubt. The truth is that the king makes the age. The king is the creator of the Krita age, of the Treta, and of the Dwapara. The king is the cause of the fourth age called Kali. '  (MB: Shanti parva – 68)

'When the king properly abides by the penal code, without making any portion of it a dead letter, then that best of periods called the Krita Yuga sets in. Let not this doubt be thine, viz, whether the era is the cause of the king, or the king the cause of the era, for know this to be certain that the king is the cause of the era. It is the king that creates the Krita, the Treta, or the Dwapara age. Indeed, it is the king that is the cause of also the fourth Yuga viz, the Kali' Kunti (MB: Udhyoga parva -132)

“The king is the lord and father of the whole universe. He is time, he is Yuga and he is the creation, mobile and immobile. He is called Dharma because he holdeth all. It is Dharma that upholdeth all mankind. It is by Dharma that the three worlds are being preserved”.  (Valmiki Ramayana: 7-71)

In Kali yuga, the rule of law or Dharma is established by Kalki, thereby ushering in Krita yuga.

One must remember that this yuga scale is applicable to Bharata varsha ONLY (MB 6-10).

The Divya yuga measurement of time with destruction and deluge is applicable to the whole world at the end of each yuga and to the solar system at the end of Kalpa. But the cyclical repetition of 4 yugas measured by Dharma is applicable to Bharata varsha only. Every time a transgression of Dharma takes place Bhagawan appears (avatara) in this land only.  The identification of a yuga in terms of Dharma is reiterated by Narada, Hanuman, Vyasa and Markandeya among others which can be read in the Itihasas.

Treta yuga of Ramayana

The most important question is when did Treta Yuga of Ramayana happen?

Instant answer is that it did not happen lakh years ago as that scale pertains to Divya Yuga of the Devas and Brahma (galactic).

Thoughtful answer is that it happened some time before Krishnavatara when Dharma was 3/4^th of what was in Krita yuga. Some notable features of this yuga are - there is no untimely death of kids, food is produced with little effort (like not breaking the earth but by sprinkling the seeds), kings are engaged in yajnas, presence of many Vedas, Brahmins and kshatriyas practicing emancipation etc. However overlap of yugas is reported in the Treta Yuga of Ramayana. Two such instances are found in Treta yuga that give us a better perspective on how the yugas were identified by our ancestors and sages.

Krita and Kali in the Treta Yuga of Rama.

War clouds had reached Lanka and Malyavan, the maternal grandfather of Ravana tried to convince Ravana to call for a truce with Rama. In that context Malyavan talks about Yugas being formed by Dharma!

He says that Dharma is on the side of ‘suras’ and ‘mahatman’ (high- souled Devas). Adharma is on the side of ‘asuras’ (demons) (VR:6-35-13)

When Dharma swallows Adharma, it becomes Krita yuga; when Adharma swallows Dharma, it stimulates Kali yuga. (VR: 6-35-14)

Therefore, while you (Ravana) were wandering in the worlds, Dharma was destroyed and you favoured Adharma. So the enemies are stronger than us. (VR: 6-35-15)

These 3 verses imply that in the period of Ravana, Kali yuga has appeared because Adharma was favoured by him as a king. When the king (ruler) is adharmic, the yuga is that of Kali. Though it was Treta Yuga, Kali had entered by the acts of Ravana.

But once he was over powered by Rama and Dharma was restored, that moment was Krita yuga.

Once Rama ascended to throne, it was Treta yuga dharma in place. Presence of 1/4^th of Adharma in that period can be ascertained from many instances found in Uttara khanda which describe the rule of Rama. As an example, one can quote the suffering caused to a dog by a Brahman in penury (VR: 7- 70 & 71)

Krita in Treta yuga of Janaka.

There is reference to Krita yuga during the rule of Janaka of Mithila who was the father-in-law of Rama. This finds mention in Mahabharata (12-308) in a dialogue between Janaka and Sulabha, a bhikshuki about emancipation. Mahabharata says, ‘atha dharmayuge’ – in that Dharma yuga, referring to Krita yuga where Dharma is full.

The reason for this reference to the yuga of Janaka is known from the context where this appears. Yudhishthira asks Bheeshma whether there was anyone who attained emancipation without abandoning the domestic mode of life (Grahasthasrama). In reply Bheeshma picks out Janaka and starts the narration by referring to his yuga as Krita or Dharma yuga.

In Krita yuga there was no differentiation between ashramas and all Brahmins were engaged in emancipation. In Treta Yuga the ashrama differences have appeared and kshatriyas were entitled to seek emancipation. But that can happen only in the last two stages of Ashramas and not in the householder phase. But Janaka, though engaged in kingly duties and householder’s duties behaved like one from Krita yuga where these differences were nil. Janaka’s endeavour for emancipation finds a special mention in Bhagawad Gita also. His practice was that of one in Krita yuga.

This incident shows how pockets of other yugas can happen with reference to individuals. The previous case involving Malyavan shows how other yugas occur for regions when dharma is transgressed by the king.

Treta in Dwapara yuga.

Similar kind of overlap is reported in Mahabharata wherein sage Lomasa identifies a place in the river Yamuna as a junction of Treta yuga and Dwapara yuga. (MB: 3-125) The Dharma of the running yuga was Dwapara. But Treta was also noticed at that place. Looking for hints in those passages we do come across references to availability of food without effort and sacrifices done by kshatriyas like Mandhata. These two features are those of Treta yuga. The surroundings brimming with the flora is that of Treta. That continued till the times of Pandavas of Dwapara yuga when they visited that place. Sage Lomasa had identified that place as one where Treta and Dwapara co-existed.

Another reference of a similar kind is also found in Mahabharata reinforcing the idea that Yuga was identified on the basis of Dharma and there is scope for overlapping of yugas.

Kali in Treta Yuga.

In a holy spot in the region of river Narmada, sage Lomasa identifies a junction of Treta and Kali yuga (MB: 3-121) The narration takes place in Dwapara yuga and therefore Dharma had not yet declined to the level of Kali yuga then. But in that location, Kali yuga had overlapped with Treta yuga -the yuga that was supposed to be more Dharmic than Dwapara. The context lays bare the reasons for this reference.

In that place a Brahmin sage by name Chyavana was doing penance and the Kshatriya king Saryati was conducting many yajnas. These two practices are typical of Treta Yuga. The penance of Chayavana was so severe that an anthill covered him in due course. At that time the King Saryati with his family was camping at that place. The king’s daughter Sukanya was happily playing around. Everything is perfect. But the sage happened to see her through the gaps in the ant hill and kept watching her with lust and without her knowledge. This is Kali yuga Dharma! Kali had sprung in Treta yuga here.

The story goes further which can be read in Mahabharata. For our understanding another incident also happened here. Sukanya who was by now Chyavana’s wife had gone to fetch water. There she was spotted by the Aswin brothers who desired her even after coming to know that she was a married woman. Thus grave adhramic actions that are characteristic of Kali yuga were happening in Treta yuga at that location.

With all these, why that location and era came to be known as Treta Yuga? The reason is that even with all the transgressions that had happened, Dharma of the measure of Treta yuga was restored soon. Aswins regained their composure and Chayavana did a break-through yajna in which for the first time Aswins were offered Soma. Such an event can happen only in Treta Yuga.

Dwapara in kali yuga.

The overlap happened even in recent times of Kali yuga. The Vaishnavite text called ‘3000-padi Guru parampara prabhavam’ identifies four  Azhwars of the Vaishnavite tradition as belonging to Dwapara yuga. Other Azhwars were born in Kali Yuga. But it is well known from one of hymns of the four Azhwars (of Dwapara yuga), that they had lived in the former centuries of the Common Era under Pallava-rule.

One of the four Azhwars, by name Bhoothataazhwar specifically mentions about ‘Maamallai’ (olden name for Mahabalipuram) in his hymn (2^nd Tiruvandhathi – 70). This name came into being only after the Pallava king. So it is very clear that this Azhwar and the other three who were his contemporaries had lived during Pallava reign in the present Kali Yuga. But why then the Acharya had written that they belonged to Dwapara yuga?

The only plausible explanation is that the reign of the Pallava king was more Dharmic with ½ in its fold as in Dwapara. Since the tradition is to identify by means of legs of Dharma, they have been identified as being born in Dwapara yuga.

Two types of Yugas (Part 2)

Part 1- Divya and Dharma - the two sides of the Yuga classification

Part 2-  Two types of Yugas

Part 3 - Dharma as the basis of Yuga classification.

Part 4 -  Textualand epigraphic evidence of Dharma Yuga

All the above parts in a single paper in academia can be downloaded HERE

What is Yuga?

(Continuing from Part 1) the basic unit of Jupiter cycle is known as Yuga. Every yuga in this system contains a constant number of just 5 years. Twelve such yugas constitute a cycle. The total duration of a cycle is 60 years.

There is another Yuga that is best recognized through Kali yuga. In this system 4 yugas constitute a single unit called a Maha yuga, but none of them have the same length of time. The Maha yuga forms the basis of the cycle. The total duration of a Maha yuga is 43,20,000 years.

Thus we have 2 yuga systems in vogue with clear-cut variations between them.

What are those variations?

(1) The foremost variation is palpable from the very meaning of Yuga.

Yuga means a ‘pair’ and yuga also means an ‘aeon’. One yuga is a pair of ascending and descending measures of time and the other refers to a very long measure of time and has no ascending and descending phase.

(2) One yuga has equal number of years and the other has unequal number of years.

(3) One finishes a cycle within man’s life span of 100 years and the other finishes a cycle in just half a day in the life of Creator Brahma.

The Yuga as a pair

The word Yuga is derived from the word ‘Yugma’ which means a double or a twin or a pair. Whenever an ascent and a corresponding descent exist together, it is known as a Yuga.

A day is a Yuga, because it constitutes a day time and a night time.

A month (lunar) is a Yuga, because it constitutes waxing and waning phases of moon.

A year is a Yuga, because it constitutes 2 ayanas.

Similarly there is a 5 year period having two 2 and a half year periods. This is based on equalizing the solar and lunar months.

The sun takes 365.25 days to move from one star and to reach the same star which makes a year.

But the moon finishes this round in 354 days in a year.

The difference between these two is 11.25 days.

In this way the moon finishes an extra month of 28.125 days every two and a half years.  This extra month is known as Adhika masa.

One round of Adhika masa coupled with another round of adhika masa, makes it a Yuga, This is the 5-year Yuga used in Vedic culture, known as “Pancha varshatmaka Yuga”

This is the yuga identified by Vedanga Jyothisha,- for fixing the time for doing rituals. A completion of 7 rounds of this yuga (7 X 5 = 35) makes one cycle. On the 36^th year Jupiter will be in Kumbha rashi starting a fresh cycle. It is because a fresh cycle starts on the 36^th year, Gandhari’s curse on Vrishnis came into effect on the 36^th year – after the completion of the running cycle. There is reference to the start of a new Era or Yuga every 36^th year, in the Panchavimsa Brahmana of Sama veda when a yajna was performed. This yuga scale was in use in Vedic culture and continued during Mahabharata times also.

This cycle is related to the movement of Jupiter. But sometime later, this cycle was substituted by Kumbha Mela. The 4 Kumbha Melas in the 12-year round of Jupiter coincide with the end of completed (Pancha varshatmaka) yugas and the mid points between them (Details here).

This Yuga system must have become redundant soon after the Uttarayana started slipping backwards to Sravana. It is because Dhanishta (the next star of Sravana) has an important place in the Jupiter cycle. It is in Dhanishta Jupiter re-appears after conjunction with sun. The currently available Vedanga Jyothisha authored by Lagadha containing the details of this 5-year Yuga was written when the winter solstice (Uttarayana) was at Dhanishta.  

This yuga system would have held relevance throughout the ascending period of Uttarayana when the winter solstice started to shift from Mula 3 degrees to Dhanishta – 20 minutes (beginning of 2^nd pada). At that maximum extent of Uttarayana, the Northern Equinox (Vishu) will be at the 1^st pada of Krittika at 20 minutes. That is the maximum the ‘ayana-chalanam’ or the oscillation of the equinox goes. (The ayana-chalanam or oscillation of the equinox spreads to the extent of 27 degrees on either side of zero degree Aries)

Now the ayana-chalanam, i.e., the oscillation of the equinox (precession) is left-ward or southward or downward, crossing backwards through Capricorn. It coincided with zero degree Capricorn in the beginning of the Common Era. In this downward movement, Vedanga Yuga ceased to exist but the 60 year Jupiter cycle was retained having the same names as before. The names of 60 years currently in vogue throughout India originally belonged to this Jupiter cycle of 60 years made by 12 times the 5 year yuga. We have lost the memory of this yuga in due course.

The Yuga as an aeon

The Yuga as a ‘pair’ was explained above. There is another Yuga which refers to a long duration of time. It just means aeon. This is not a pair because there is no ascending and descending measure of time in this system. There are only 4 divisions of unequal length by names Satya or Krita, Treta, Dwapara and Kali. After the completion of the last division namely Kali yuga, there is no reversal by a descending order. Instead the next cycle begins from the 1^st division namely Krita yuga.

Thus one can find two important variations between the two yugas in vogue in the Vedic culture. The former is a pair, while the later is not. The former has fixed number of years (5 years) for each division of the Yuga whereas the later has 4 divisions of unequal length.

The 3^rd variation is that the former was the time keeper of the Vedic life.

The later has two applications, one for Devas of the celestial realms and another for Dharma for human beings. Clarity between these two would solve any question on Yugas and related issues.

Maha yuga of Devas.

Many texts of Vedic Thought talk about the span of Brahma in terms of 4 yugas, krita, Treta, Dwapara and Kali. All of them begin from the solar year that is easily understood by us. But as they progress they bring in “Divya” year or year of Devas. ‘Div’ means light. It is about the stars that emit light. And Purusha is recognised as having ‘Nakshatrani rupam’. Therefore whenever we come across the term Divya term, we must understand that it is about galactic scale.

In this system,

1 solar year = 1day of Devas

360 days of Devas = 1 year of Devas = 360 solar years.

Given below is the split-up of this yuga scale upto a Kalpa (a day of Brahma) as given in Surya Siddhantha and repeated in Puranas.

1 souramana (solar year) = 12 month sojourn of the Sun around the zodiac.

4,32,000 souramana = Basic unit of a Yuga

4,32,000 x 1 = Kaliyuga = 4,32,000 souramana (includes 2 sandhi of 1/6^th duration of itself)

4,32,000 x 2 = Dwapara yuga = 8,64,000 souramana ( ” )

4,32,000 x 3 = Treta yuga = 12,96,000 souramana (” )

4,32,000 x 4 = Satya yuga = 17,28,000 souramana (” )

Total = 43,20,000 souramana = 1 chatur Maha Yuga = 4 yugas (satya + treta + dwapara + kali)

71 Chatur Maha Yugas = 30,67,20,000 souramana = 1 Manvanthra

(since every manvantra is followed by a period called sandhi which is equivalent to 1 satya yuga),

1 manvantra + 1 sandhi = 30,67,20,000 + 17,28,000 = 30 84,48,000 souramana

Like this,

14 sandhi + 14 manvantra = 4,31,82,72,000 souramana

1 kalpa = (14 sandhi + 14 manvantra) + 1 kalpa sandhi

= 4,31,82,72,000 + 17,28,000

= 4,32,00,00,000 souramana (= 1000 Chatur Maha yuga)

= 1 kalpa = a day of Brahma deva = a night of Brahma deva.

This is roughly equivalent to 20 rounds of the Sun around the Galactic center

(Modern science calculates 1 round to be roughly around 220 million years)

This yuga classification running into millions and billions of years is suitable to express the life span of stars (nakshathras which are considered to be Devas )

The same span is differently told by sage Markandeya in Mahabharata.

Markandeya on Yuga.

In Mahabharata (3-187) sage Markandeya says the following to Yudhishthira. The sandhi is 10% of the respective yuga and is added before and after the respective yuga.

Krita Yuga = 400 + 4000 + 400 = 4,800 (years)
Treta Yuga = 300 + 3000 + 300 = 3,600
Dwapara    = 200 + 2000 + 200 = 2,400
Kali Yuga  = 100 + 1000 + 100 = 1,200

Total                    = 12,000 (years)

This gives rise to an opinion that these years refer to solar years applicable to earth. No, it is not so, when we see the next line of this description.

After saying that Krita yuga dawns again after Kali yuga, and “a cycle of the Yugas thus comprised a period of twelve thousand years”, Markandeya goes on to say,

“A full thousand of such cycles would constitute a day of Brahma”.

A Brahma means a Kalpa which is equal to 4,32,00,00,000 solar years.

Here the cycle he has given contains only 12,000 years. There is no reference to whether they are solar years or Divya years. A 1000 of this cycle makes it 120,00,000 years only which is not the duration of a Brahma or Kalpa.

But if we take the 12,000 years of this cycle as Divya years we get 12,000 X 360 = 43,20,000 solar years which is the duration of a Chatur Maha yuga.

1000 times that duration is 4,32,00,00,000 solar years which is nothing but the span of a Kalpa.

Therefore 12,000 year cycle containing the split-up of the 4 yugas as given by Markandeya applies to Devas only.

Vasishtha on Yuga.

The same as above is repeated by sage Vasishtha to King Karala of Janaka’s race, found in the narration by Bhishma to Yudhishthira in Mahabharata (12-302). When asked by Karala what is destructible and what is indestructible, Vasishtha refers to Brahma identified by the Chatur Maha Yugas as destructible. He says,

“Twelve thousand years, according to the measure of the celestials, make a Yuga, four such Yugas taken a thousand times, make a Kalpa which measures one day of Brahman. Brahman's night also, O king, is of the same measure when Brahman himself is destroyed.”

Vasishtha also refers to the 12,000 years as given by Markandeya but refers to it as the measure of Devas. The four yugas put together make 12,000 years of Devas. 1000 times of this measure is the day of Brahma. It is also the same measure for the night of Brahma when he goes to sleep when everything gets destroyed. This narration emphasises that it is wrong to apply  the 12,000 year split-up for human life.

Narayana on Yuga.

In another place in Mahabharata we find a reference by Markandeya himself concurring with this scale of Divya yuga . (MB 3-188) In the narration of Markandeya, Narayana as the Universal Atman says that “for a period measured by a thousand times the length of the Yugas, I who am the Universal Soul sleep overwhelming all creatures in insensibility.”

This refers to the night time Kalpa. The reference to 1000 times the length of the Yugas could only be about 12,000 year Divya yugas multiplied by 1000 giving rise to the extent of a Kalpa (4,32,00,00,000)

So wherever the Yuga scale appears in terms of Divya years or with the basic unit of 4,32,000 years or 43,20,000 years (Chatur Maha Yuga) or 12,000 years which goes upto 1000 times, one must understand it is on galactic scale.

Today this Yuga scale is greatly misunderstood and confused with avatars and human life. People think that Rama was born in the Treta Yuga of this scale, which in scientific terms occurred after early man started walking upright (Homo eructus) and before Homo sapiens evolved.

One must also know that the Manvantra of this scale roughly constituting 30 crore years represent the early period of formation of the Himalayas when the Indian plate started colliding with the Eurasian plate. The kind of human species that formed since then have evolved into what we are today – this is the inference we gain from the concept of Manvantra.

The above two ideas must convince people not to cling on to the Chatur Maha yuga scale for human life and avatars.

Then, what for this scale is valid?

Utility of Chatur Maha yuga of Devas in mundane life:

The Chatur Maha Yuga is primarily used in the context of dik, desa and kaala.

Dik (direction), desa (country) and kaala (time) are the most important factors in any work.

When someone wants to say or convey something, he / she will say the place and time from where he / she is speaking or communicating. This is about desa.

Dik is also important as desa, because the division of earth into north and south in terms of ayana makes a difference to the other two, namely, desa and kaala.

Dik is important for another reason too as it is relative to desa and time (night or day). So any religious rite that has to be done, is carried out first by stating the place of performance in terms of dik, desa and kaala.

Kaala is not just about day or night at a place. It is about a time in the month (solar / lunar month), in the paksha, in the ritu, in the ayana, in the 60 years rotation (prabhavaadhi) of the sun (Jupiter cycle), in the divya yuga, in the manvantra, in the kalpa and in the context of Para (parama ayuL of Brahma).

This line of progression from the lowest unit to the highest unit is reversed in practice and is said from the highest to the lowest, for, only then it will make sense!

It is like how it is said that I am the great grandchild of so and so, grandchild of so and so and child of so and so. We start from the higher unit or that which forms the Whole and deduce from that, our relationship or position at the bottom level. It is from the Whole, the location of the Part is known.

Any religious rite starts with a sankalpa or vow in this way by identifying oneself with dik, desa and kaala. The running yuga of the running Kalpa forms the backdrop of Sankalpa in which one commits to do a religious act. Since the religious act is directed towards Devas, the Sankalpa is done in the Kala-parimaaNa of Divya Yugas. This cannot become the justification for yuga scale for humans, for another reason, that at human level Yuga-cycle is known by Yuga dharma only.

(To be continued)