If in the book The Holy Science the Kali Yuga has ended and we are in the Dvapara Yuga -- but Kali Yuga comes after the Dvapara. So how is it we go right back to the Dvapara? I’m confused. I hope this question isn’t to confusing.
—Keith McDaniel, United States
Dear Keith,
Sri Yukteswar, in The Holy Science, gave us correct timelines for the yugas. He explained that traditional yuga timelines used in India were a misunderstanding which entered human consciousness during the most recent dark age of Kali Yuga. Yuga periods are much longer in traditional Hindu explanations and in these interpretations we are still in Kali Yuga for thousands more years. There is also a misunderstanding that immediately following Kali Yuga comes Satya Yuga which defies the gradual nature of all evolution.
The Yugas are a cycle of rising and falling planetary consciousness. Think of it as a circle of 24,000 years, 12,000 of ascending Yugas and 12,000 of the descending Yugas. There are 4 Yugas or time periods in this circle each with an ascending and descending phase: Kali Yuga, Dwapara Yuga, Treta Yuga and Satya Yuga. Descending Kali Yuga, the darkest and most material consciousness of the yugas, lasts for 1,000 years with a 100 year transition into and out of descending Kali Yuga for a total of 1200 years. Once Kali Yuga reaches its lowest point of descent at the bottom of the circle it transitions to ascending Kali for another 1200 years.
Think of Kali Yuga descending and ascending as the bottom of the circle. In our recent history descending Kali Yuga began 700 BC and the lowest point of Kali Yuga was 500 AD and then Kali Yuga entered the rising phase. Rising Kali Yuga continued until 1700 AD. Dwapara Yuga, the age of energy, is a 2000 year period with 200 year transitions on either side of the period (so a total of 2400 years). In our recent history the transition to Dwapara began 1700 AD-1900 AD. Rising Dwapara Yuga formally began in 1900 AD.
Dwapara Yuga is the age of energy and just looking at our recent history we can see the rapid shift in our lives since 1900, for example, use of electricity, phones wired and wireless, atomic power, automobiles, airplanes, rockets, and computers. And we have just gotten started!
Dwapara will continue until 4100 AD when there will be a 300 year transition to rising Treta Yuga. Treta Yuga is the age of thought. The world will be in Treta Yuga (3000 years plus two 300 year transitions for a total of 3600 years until 7700 AD. Then there will be a 400 year transition to rising Satya Yuga. Satya Yuga, the spiritual age lasts 4800 years (4000 years plus 800 years total transition time) ascending. We are now at the top of the circle of 24,000 years. On the descending side we begin with descending Satya which is another 4800 years, followed by descending Treta, descending Dwapara and we are back at the bottom of the circle with descending Kali. On the rising side of the circle there is gradually increasing enlightenment and on the descending side of the circle is gradual darkening of consciousness.
This is a fascinating subject and Ananda members Joseph (Puru) Selbie and David (Byasa) Steinmetz wrote a book called The Yugas: Keys to Understanding our Hidden Past, Emerging Energy Age, and Enlightened Future which is available at our publishing company, Crystal Clarity Publishers. The authors draw on history, recorded as well as archeological, for corroboration of the yuga cycle which gives us an entirely new understanding of human history. Puru also has a website with a lot of helpful information http://www.theyugas.com.
Many blessings to you,
Nayaswami Mukti
