Cycles

Four Yugas

“The Hindu religion is the only one of the world’s great faiths dedicated to the idea that the Cosmos itself undergoes an immense, indeed an innate, number of deaths and rebirths. It is the only religion in which the time scales correspond, to those of modern scientific cosmology. Its cycles run from our ordinary day and night to a day and night of Brahma, 8.64 billion years long. Longer than the age of the Earth or the Sun and about half the time since the Big Bang. And there are much longer time scales still ”

Carl Sagan

The Four Yugas

Source: The 4 Yugas in Hinduism

Satya Yuga (Krita Yuga): This is the first and longest Yuga, lasting 1,728,000 years. It is characterized by virtue and righteousness, with kings and people leading lives of great moral and spiritual integrity.

Treta Yuga: The second Yuga lasts 1,296,000 years. It witnesses the decline of virtue, with the appearance of vice. Legendary kings like Lord Rama, who is considered an incarnation of the god Vishnu, reign during this period.

Dvapara Yuga: The third Yuga lasts 864,000 years. Virtue and vice are equally balanced, and notable figures like Krishna, another incarnation of Vishnu, are prominent.

Kali Yuga: The fourth and current Yuga lasts 432,000 years. It is marked by a decline in righteousness and an increase in vice. This Yuga began around 3102 BCE, according to traditional Hindu chronology.

Genealogies of Kings: The Puranas provide detailed genealogies of various dynasties, including:

  • Solar Dynasty (Suryavansha): This dynasty is said to have been founded by Ikshvaku, a son of the sun god Surya. It includes famous kings such as Harishchandra, Bhagiratha, and Rama.
  • Lunar Dynasty (Chandravansha): Founded by Ila and later propagated by Pururavas, this dynasty includes notable kings like Yayati, Nahusha, and Yudhishthira (from the Mahabharata).

Mythological Kings:

  • The early kings, particularly those of the Satya Yuga, are often depicted as semi-divine beings with extraordinarily long lifespans. For example, King Prithu, who is credited with making the earth fertile and suitable for agriculture, is a prominent figure in these lists.
  • Other legendary figures include King Sagara, who performed the Ashvamedha Yagna (horse sacrifice) and whose descendants are said to have brought the Ganges river from heaven to earth.

Prominent Puranas with King Lists

Vishnu Purana: Contains detailed genealogies of the Solar and Lunar dynasties.

Bhagavata Purana: Focuses on the deeds of Krishna and the lineage of kings in the Yadu dynasty.

Matsya Purana: Includes descriptions of various dynasties and notable kings.

Brahmanda Purana: Provides extensive genealogies and descriptions of ancient kingdoms.

Specific lifespans or reigns for notable kings from the Hindu Puranic traditions.

 At our solar system’s distance from the center — 26,000 light years or about halfway from center to edge — it takes the sun about 225 million years to make one revolution around the Milky Way.

The earliest known dinosaurs appeared during the Triassic Period (approximately 250 to 200 million ago). Dinosaurs evolved into a very diverse group of animals with a vast array of physical features, including modern birds.

KingsYugaLifespan/ReignNotes
Vivasvan (Surya)Satya YugaImmortalFather of Vaivasvata Manu, considered a solar deity.
Vaivasvata ManuSatya Yuga71 Mahayugas (approx. 306 million years)The first man and progenitor of humanity in the current cycle.
IkshvakuSatya Yuga84,000 yearsFounder of the Solar Dynasty.
KukshiSatya Yuga36,000 yearsSon of Ikshvaku.
VikukshiSatya Yuga30,000 yearsAlso known as Shashada.
BanaSatya Yuga30,000 yearsDescendant of Ikshvaku.
AnaranyaSatya Yuga23,000 yearsDefeated by Ravana.
PrithuSatya Yuga23,000 yearsConsidered the first consecrated king and made the earth fertile.
TrishankuTreta Yuga60,000 yearsA king who desired to ascend to heaven in his mortal body.
HarishchandraTreta Yuga60,000 yearsKnown for his unwavering commitment to truth and dharma.
RohitaTreta Yuga36,000 yearsSon of Harishchandra.
HaritaTreta Yuga33,000 yearsDescendant of Harishchandra.
SagaraTreta Yuga30,000 yearsHis descendants brought the Ganges river to earth.
AsamanjaTreta Yuga33,000 yearsSon of Sagara.
AmshumanTreta Yuga32,000 yearsGrandson of Sagara.
DilipaTreta Yuga30,000 yearsFather of Bhagiratha.
BhagirathaTreta Yuga36,000 yearsCredited with bringing the Ganges from heaven to earth.
KakutsthaTreta Yuga30,000 yearsAncestor of Rama.
RaghuTreta Yuga30,000 yearsAncestor of Rama, known for his valor and generosity.
AjaTreta Yuga30,000 yearsFather of Dasharatha.
DasharathaTreta Yuga60,000 yearsFather of Rama.
RamaTreta Yuga11,000 yearsThe seventh avatar of Vishnu and hero of the Ramayana.
YayatiTreta Yuga72,000 yearsA king of the Lunar Dynasty who exchanged his old age with his son’s youth.
NahushaTreta Yuga60,000 yearsBecame the king of the gods (Indra) for a period.
PururavasTreta Yuga60,000 yearsA legendary king who fell in love with the celestial nymph Urvashi.
MandhataTreta Yuga60,000 yearsA legendary king of the Solar Dynasty known for his universal sovereignty.
Kartavirya ArjunaTreta Yuga85,000 yearsA powerful king with a thousand arms, known for his might and rule over the seven continents.
NimiTreta Yuga84,000 yearsAn ancient king who started the tradition of the Videha kingdom.
MaruttaTreta Yuga70,000 yearsKnown for his grand sacrifices and immense wealth.
BharataTreta Yuga70,000 yearsSon of Dushyanta and Shakuntala, and an ancestor of the Pandavas and Kauravas.
ShantanuDvapara Yuga36,000 yearsAncestor of the Pandavas and Kauravas.
BhishmaDvapara Yuga58,000 yearsGranduncle to the Pandavas and Kauravas, known for his vow of celibacy.
PanduDvapara Yuga30,000 yearsFather of the Pandavas.
DhritarashtraDvapara Yuga28,000 yearsFather of the Kauravas.
YudhishthiraDvapara Yuga36,000 yearsThe eldest of the Pandavas and a key figure in the Mahabharata.
KrishnaDvapara Yuga125 yearsThe eighth avatar of Vishnu and central character in the Mahabharata.
ParikshitKali Yuga60 yearsGrandson of Arjuna, ruled during the transition to Kali Yuga.
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