Tretāyuga
From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia
By Swami Harshananda
Significance of Name Tretāyuga[edit]
According to the descriptions given in the epics and the purāṇas, a yuga is a colossal unit of time. Out of the four yugas normally described, the Tretāyuga is the second in the series. It has been called ‘tretā’[1] since it is three times longer in duration than the Kaliyuga, the fourth and the last in the series.
Duration of Tretāyuga[edit]
It lasts for 3600 divine years or 12,96,000 human years.
Peculiarities of Tretāyuga[edit]
Compared to the first yuga, Kṛtayuga where dharma or righteousness was fully manifested, in this yuga it was less by a quarter. In this yuga, people were devoted to truth and performed their duties properly. The religion of sacrifices, yajñas or yāgas, got manifested in this age for the first time. Hence they became extremely popular.
References[edit]
- ↑ It means three.
- The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore