Duration of YugAs

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Namaste.

 

The four yugAs as per Vedic scriptures are of the following durations

in human years:

 

KritA – 1728000

TretA – 1296000

DwApara – 864000

Kali – 432000

 

It is noticed that DwApara is twice (dva), TretA thrice (tri) and

KritA four times the duration of Kali. Thus, Kali appears to be the

basic unit or starting point of the progression.

 

Is there any astronomical or other significance to these numbers?

The total of the digits is 9.

 

And, has `krit' any semantic relation to "quart" (of four) found in

western languages?

 

What is the duration of the `human year' considered in these yuga

durations? Is it 360 days, where the total of the digits is again 9,

equaling the total span of the zodiac in degrees (kalAs).

Astronomically and astrologically, the sun traverses approximately

one degree each day.

 

Kali is 4320 centuries long. This number divided by 360 gives 12,

which is the number of signs in the zodiac. The human life span in

Indian astrology is 120 years, the tenth multiple of 12, which in

degrees is the span of the first, second and third equal sections of

the zodiac ruled by the first, second and third 9 asterisms of the 9

planets. These 120 years of human life span are divided among the 9

planets as planetary periods (dasAs) in different proportions, the

rationale for which is still a matter of debate.

 

Do all these factors have only terrestrial relevance? Can any cosmic

significance be read into these numbers? Is it in the cosmic sense

that the term kalpA is used? One kalpA (a day of Brahma - the period

from creation to dissolution as we saw in BG Ch. 9) is 4320 million

human years. That figure again is a multiple of Kali!

 

The apparent relationship between these numbers is quite striking.

However, I am totally ignorant of their significance. Hence, these

questions. Can somebody please enlighten?

 

PranAms.

 

Madathil Nair