The yuga system is a Sanatana yuga calendar of universe created by the creator of universe and made available to humans through MANUSMRITI. According to Sanskrit text of Manu Smriti there are four yugas namely Satya Yuga (Krita yuga) of 4800 years, Treta yuga of 3600 years, Dwapar yuga of 2400 years and Kali yuga of 1200 years. The spans of these yugas are in normal years i.e. in human years and all these yugas run in cyclic manner, starting from Satya yuga. The total duration of all these four yugas is 12000 years which is known as a Chatur Yuga.
The Manu Smriti also states that like Chatur yuga mentioned above there is a Divine yuga which consists of 12000 Divine years. Since one Divine year is equal to 360 human years therefore one Divine yuga is equal to 360 Chatur yuga of 12000 human years. In other word one Divine yuga contains 360 cycles of Chatur Yuga of12000 human years. This means that on completion of360 cycles of Chatur Yuga of 12000 human years one Divine yuga gets completed. This Divine yuga is also called Maha yuga and total number of years in this Divine yuga are 12000×360=4320000 years.
The various units of Yugas in human years as per Manu Smriti are summarize below
1.Satya yuga = 4800 years
2.Trata yuga = 3600 years
3.Dwapar yuga = 2400 years
4.Kali yuga = 1200 years
5. Chatur yuga =12000 years (4800+3600+2400+1200)
6. Divine yuga (Maha yuga) = 360 cycles of Chatur yuga i.e. 360×12000=4320000 years.
7. Manvantara =71 Divine yuga (Maha yuga)
8. Kalpa = 1000 Divine yuga (Maha yuga) or 14 Manvantara +15 (Sandhi kal 0f 1728000 years)
Due to erroneous interpretation of Sanskrit text regarding yugas, the Chatur yuga and Divine yuga (Maha yuga) were assumed to be the same having a span of 12000×360 = 4320000 years. This assumption increased the yuga spans as below which is totally incorrect.
- Satya Yuga 4800 Dev years = 4800×360 =1728000 years
- Treta yuga 3600 Dev years = 3600×360 =1296000 years
- Dwapar yuga 2400 Dev years = 2400×360 = 864000 years
- Kali yuga 1200 Dev years = 1200×360 = 432000 years
Chatur yuga = Divine yuga (Maha yuga) = 4320000 years
The Kali yuga began in 3102 BCE. At this time 324th cycle 0f Chatur Yuga in 28th Divine yuga (Maha yuga) of Vaivasvata Manvantara was running. Based on this fact the time period of all the four yugas is as under
1 Satya Yuga 13902 BCE to 9102 BCE- Vedas were composed in this period
2 Treta yuga 9102 BCE to 5502 BCE- Shri Ram birth and Ramayan happened in this period
3 Dwapar yuga 5502 BCE to 3102 BCE- Shri Krishna birth and Mahabharat happened in this period
4 Kali yuga 3102 BCE to 1902 BCE- Shri Goutam Buddha was born in this period
With the end of Kaliyuga in 1902 BCE the 324th cycle of Chatur Yuga ended and 325thcycle started with the start of Satya yuga in1902 BCE which shall continue up to 2898 CE i.e. up to year 2898. At present we are living in Satya yuga.