According to the ancient teachings of India, there is a great repeating historical cycle of four ages, called the yugas, which lasts 24,000 years. For 12,000 years the consciousness of man rises to its height, and then begins a 12,000-year descent into darkness. Our current age, Dwapara, is in the ascending half of this cycle. It started in 1700 and will last for 2,400 years. The scale of the yugas is so large that it is hard to visualize, but if we divide by 100 it will help us see the major trends. For fun, then, let’s think of a king named Dwaparian ruling this beautiful, blue island called Earth. His reign will last 24 years. With so many people feeling hopeless about current events, it is important to realize that we are only a little over three years into his rulership.
Dwaparian is remarkably energetic, creative, and inventive. He has a keen interest in science, especially in anything having to do with energy. He travels a great deal, increasingly thinks of the whole world as his own, and is very interested in anything that can reduce the sense of space.
Unfortunately, he is not particularly high-minded, and tends to be self-focused, self-indulgent, and somewhat greedy. He puts his own interests first, and doesn’t share well, which causes lots of squabbles and fights. Here are some of the major trends of his kingship:
Energy: When he came to his kingship, the bodies of men and animals still provided most of the power. Dwaparian had a strong desire to replace physical labor with increasingly sophisticated machines, but he needed energy. First came steam power, then the discovery of oil and gasoline, and soon thereafter electricity. At the beginning of his third year, the atomic age was born.
A shrinking world: Along with the discovery of new energy sources, new forms of transportation and communication emerged, which increasingly shrank the world. Steam locomotives, and then the internal combustion engine, allowed rapid movement of goods and people. Then came airplanes, jets, and rockets, which both shrank the planet and allowed mankind to expand into space. Soon to come will be driverless cars, widely used robots, and artificial intelligence, eventually eliminating the need for physical labor and repetitive work. Ideally this should free men and women for higher pursuits.
Even more than transportation, communication devices have begun to shrink the planet. It started with the telegraph—the eruption of Krakatoa in Indonesia in 1883 was telegraphed immediately and followed around the world. The telephone soon followed, then radio, television, the internet, and smartphones, connecting people instantaneously with one another. Now this trend is producing extreme miniaturization in everything from electronics to medicine.
The downside of Dwaparian: His realm is plagued by greed, insensitivity, and excessive restlessness. Greed brings economic imbalance, depressions, and class conflict. Insensitivity allows the exploitation of the environment, causing climate imbalance. And Dwaparian’s realm is becoming overly complicated and stressful. These trends will be disastrous if allowed to continue.
Man’s greatest hope: Soon after Dwaparian began his reign, God sent great avatars to help guide and uplift the world. All of man’s inventions and power mean little, and in fact pose a threat, unless the general level of consciousness can be raised. It is the mission of Paramhansa Yogananda, in particular, to serve as a way-shower for this new age. And it is the mission of Ananda to share that message. Only when Dwaparian learns to live in attunement with the Divine can he create a happy and wise kingdom.
In peace,
Nayaswami Jyotish
20 Comments
Pranam Ji
Thanks for Keeping us to stay Inspired through such wonderful Informative Article.
With Gratitude
R Sundararajan
Thank Jyotish, very nice and inventive to understand better what yuga means.
Dear Nayaswami Jyotish Ji,
How profound the message here in your blog
Thank you for getting it in simple terms for us to read and get along with the message :)
We sincerely Thank Master for his incarnation & guiding us and to Swamiji who showed us the way to Master’s teaching and holding our hands walking along the path.
Aum
Prem
This was excellent Jyotish! THANK YOU.
Very good, Jyotish. Thank you. Nothing like getting the right perspective! Many blessings, janakidevi
A fun approach!
Thank you so very much Jyotish for this timely message. Well said.
Thank you Jyotish, great post. Each one of us meditating more, offering daily prayers for peace and harmony, can help change this Yuga.
Great analogy and lovely synopsis of the current unfolding age. A further highlight of increasing knowledge is mankind now has access to the inner technologies to raise his consciousness above the current age. Just as we can use outer technology to see through the dark night or keep warm in the cold winter in spite of our orbital positions, so can we use our ingenuity to uplift ourselves and the world in the present. All orbits can be harnessed : )
Thank you beloved soul. Like Swamiji, you make the complex simple and concepts on complexity, easier to understand. As I am reading the Holy Science and listening to Swamiji narrate the AY, and reading Savitri’s new book..”Through the Chakras” (and..meditating longer, deeper and more regularly) concepts that I was able to mildly absorb mentally are now taking up residence in my heart and consciousness. ‘Life is Beautiful, Life is Gay, When I Give My Heart Away…” Namaste. Stay safe and uplifted dear ones. Come back soon.
Namaskaram, some indian religious people say this is kaliyuga. But my sadhguru’s vision is different. Your explanation is excellent.
Pranams
Thank you for helping us understand. Keeps us aware that it’s …GOD ALONE…we need
Interesting article. Enjoyed reading most of it. It is nice to think that robots would take over menial jobs and thus free people in those jobs to pursue a higher path. However, most people in menial jobs are not evolved enough to think in terms of pursuing a higher path and thus poverty will ensue.
Please dear one. rethink your statement “most people in menial jobs are not evolved denough to think in terms of pursuing a higher path”. Humility and simplicity is taught throughout our teachings. What job one works in, is no indicator of level of evolution. Generosity of the heart is. Some people with high degrees work menial jobs. They work. Who is to judge the level of menial and not menial?
Dear Jyotishji, fun way to understand Dwapara yuga as a King, who has to be attuned to the Divine for his Kingdom to be wise and Happy. The consequences of Greed and restlessness and how it can go up to the extent of climate change and imbalance in nature, as downside of Dwaparian is an Amazing correlation. Thank you ji, great message for thought.
Thank you for this nice information..
I have sat in groups throughout the years listening to talks on the Yugas and thought I understood it. The other day I was trying to explain it to someone and couldn’t put what I had heard into words of my own. Your analogy made it so much easier to understand. Thank you.
AILF
Lynne
So entertaining to read to see how you were going to tie it altogether. I like the way you simplified and made it so easy to grasp. You’re a great story teller…keep going…
Thank you so much for this! Many Blessings and Love for all you do!
Barbara Treece
Wow! This gives a glimpse of yuga in a short, simple but very effective manner. I read the explanation in “Holy Science” by Swami Shri Yukteshwar recently and as we know it is so hard to comprehend. This is very inspiring and touching. Thank you for making these truths so simple to understand.
Joy to yoy