yugasSatya

Satya Yuga, also known as Krita Yuga, is the first of the four yugas in Hindu cosmology’s cycle of ages. It is described as a golden age when dharma (righteousness) prevails, truthfulness is universal, and human life is marked by great virtue, wisdom, and longevity. The yuga lasts 1,728,000 human years.

The four yugas together form a mahayuga (also called a chaturyuga) of 4,320,000 years. Across the cycle, virtue declines with each successive yuga: Satya Yuga is characterized by 100 percent dharma, Treta Yuga by about 75 percent, Dvapara Yuga by about 50 percent, and Kali Yuga by about 25 percent. The lengths are 1,728,000; 1,296,000; 864,000; and 432,000 years respectively.

In many Hindu texts, Satya Yuga is followed by Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga, after which the cycle repeats with a new Satya. Some traditions also refer to Satya Yuga as Krita Yuga. Start dates vary by tradition; commonly cited is that Kali Yuga began around 3,102 BCE, placing the present era within that yuga.

The concept presents time as cyclical rather than linear, with epochs measured on a grand scale and a progressive decline in moral and spiritual standards across the cycle. It is discussed in scriptures such as the Puranas and the Mahabharata and remains a framework for discussions of dharma and cosmic time.