Satya Yuga - The Age of Truth

Hindu philosophy talks about four yugas or cycles which the cosmos goes through- Satya, Treta, Dwapar and Kali each of which last for tens of thousands of years. These yugas repeat themselves in a cyclical pattern like the four seasons. The changes in each yuga are not just in physical form but also in the entire thought process and consciousness of mankind.  

The Satya Yuga, also known as the Krita Yuga is considered to be the first and the best of the four yugas in Hinduism. Satya yuga is characterised by truth and honesty. This is considered to be a golden age of righteousness and absence of deceit and dishonesty. The average lifespan during the Satya yuga was 100,000 years. 

It is believed that after Satya yuga, human beings progress into less enlightened yugas, ending with the Kali yuga which is the worst. Thereafter the cycle of yugas begins again. The Satya yuga is said to have lasted 4,800 divine years or 1728000 earth years. 

The god of all yugas is said to be Dharma, depicted as a bull (some say cow) symbolising morality. In the Satya yuga he is standing on all four legs, in the Treta yuga on three legs, Dwapar yuga on two legs and in the Kali yuga on one leg. This is meant to depict the decline in morality as each yuga progresses onto the next. 

It is believed that the marriage of Lord Shiva with Goddess Sati took place during the Satya yuga. This period was governed by the will of the gods and the people were peaceful, content and without enmity or hostility. Meditation and yoga were practised by all. Sanatan Dharam was also established during this epoch. 

Lord Vishnu incarnated in four forms during the Satya yuga- Matsya (fish), Kurma (tortoise), Varaha (boar), and Narasimha (half man, half lion). The main text followed during this period was Manu’s Dharma Shastra. 

The Satya yuga was symbolised by only punya (good) deeds. There was no discrimination between castes and communities and people lived in harmony. It was a utopian way of life. The Krita Yuga is believed to have begun on the Vaishakh Shukla Tritiya day, also commonly known as the Akshaya Tritiya. 

Dance as a form of art didn’t exist as everyone was happy. Similarly, writing was unnecessary as people communicated freely through means of their thoughts. There was no need for temples as the presence of God was felt everywhere. This yuga was also devoid of all agricultural activities. 

We are currently in the Kali yuga after which it is believed the Satya yuga shall emerge once more. The decline in morality and human consciousness shall be reversed and truth shall reign again. The great epic Mahabharata also prophesied the same. In fact, in the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna has said 

"Paritranaya Sadhunam, Vinashaya Cha Dushkritam,
Dharmasamsthapanaarthaya, Sambhavami Yuge Yuge!"

(For the protection of the good and the destruction of the evil,
For the purpose of reinstating righteousness, I shall incarnate in every Yuga)

Written by Aarti Natarajan Sharma

for servdharm.com