Dwapara Yuga: Were People of this Yuga aware of Kalyuga

In Vedic culture, time is cyclic in nature (Anadi). This means that everything will end where it all started. Moreover, in Vedic culture, time is divided into 4 Yugas: Satyug, Tretayuga, Dwapara yuga, and Kalyuga. Currently, we are living in the kaliyuga. Moreover, this blog is about Dwapara yuga, specifically. So, let’s see what was so special about this yuga, the people of this yuga, and how it ended.

Table of Contents

Dwapara Yuga: What’s so special about it?

So, Vedic culture describes time as cyclic. It puts influence on the recurring pattern of 4 yugas. Moreover, here are some key facts of this yuga:

This yuga lasted 864,000 years.a
The maximum height of people of this era is 11 feet, while they lived up to 1000 years.
In this yuga, Bhagvan Vishnu took avatar as Krishna to guide people.
Krishna also gave the knowledge of Bhagvat Geeta to Arjuna during the Kurukshetra war.
People of this era were brave, enthusiastic, courageous, and competitive.
Vedas were divided into 4 parts, which we know today as; Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, and Atharvaveda.

Significant Moral Decline in Dwapara Yuga

However, as the time passes, each yuga faces a significant decline in dharma. Similarly, in the Dwapara Yuga, the decline was significant as compared to the previous two i.e, Satyug and Tretayuga. Let’s see how:

This yuga faced the first significant decline in dharma and humanity.
Moral standards were corrupted.
People are less spiritual.
They are following vedas less strictly.
This is the yuga of wars, when more wars emerged for the sake of dharma.
Now, the people do not have direct connection with the king.
Social class system is created.
People focus on seeking more material pleasures.
The “Bull of Dharma” loses one more leg and now stands on only two.

The Bull of Dharma

As you noticed above that the “Bull of Dharma” is mentioned, who is he? Well, it’s no ordinary bull. According to Bhagvat Geeta, the Bull represents dharma here, and his four legs are the pillars on which he stands. “These pillars are: austerity, cleanliness, truthfulness, and kindness.” Moreover, the bull of dharma loses one leg as it steps into the next yuga. So, it is believed that when he loses all four legs then Ghor Kalyug will begin. During this time dharma will finally fall and morals will decline. However, Bhagvan Vishnu will take his Kalki avatar to guide people on the path of dharma and re-establish the society. Just like he did in other yugas.

Vishnu Avatar in the Dwapara Yuga

vishnu avatar

Now, as you know Bhagvan Vishnu takes avatar whenever humanity, morals, and dharma declines. Similarly, Bhagvan Vishnu took the avatar as “Krishna” during the dwapara yuga. He took this avatar to save people from Kansa (his maternal uncle). Later in this yuga, he helped the Pandavas in the Kurukshetra war. During the battle, he narrated the knowledge of Bhagvat Geeta to great warrior Arjuna. In his speech to Arjuna, he told him,

“यदा यदा हि धर्मस्य ग्लानिर्भवति भारत:।”

“अभ्युत्थानमधर्मस्य तदात्मानं सृजाम्यहम्॥”

By this he meant that whenever dharma declines and adharma rises, then he comes to avenge his people (Us).

The End of Dwapara Yuga

Now, let’s talk about how the Dwapara yuga ended. So, as you know, Pandavas won the Kurukshetra war and Yudhisthir was appointed as the new king of Hastinapur. But this war cost the Kauravas (100 sons of Gandhari) their lives. Thus, Gandhari cursed Krishna by blaming him to be the cause of this massive destruction. Gandhari cursed him that his entire Kul will be destroyed too. Eventually, the entire Kul of Krishna declined and Krishna died. However, there are various stories about how Krishna died and how did Dwarka sink? Watch this entire video on our Youtube Channel: Vedic Meet.

The Transition from Dwapara Yuga to Kalyuga

After Gandhari’s curse, Yudhishtir found himself guilty equally. So, he passed his throne to King Parikshit and went on pilgrimage with his brothers and wife Draupadi. However, unlike Shree Ram, Krishna died like a common human as he was incarnated in the Mrityu Lok (earth). Thus, he left his body and left for his native place, Vaikuntha. Moreover, as the Dwapara yuga was making its transition into Kalyuga, new diseases started to emerge. People were dying either from illnesses or in war. In addition, people started to become more angry, envious, jealous, and greedy. This marked the end of this yuga,

Were People of this Yuga aware of Kalyuga?

Yes, the people were aware about Kalyuga. As the people of Dwapara yuga were more intelligent than us. Although there was a moral decline yet people were aware about the principles of Vedas. In the Vedas, the ancient hindu scriptures, there are references of different yugas, including Kaliyuga. Also, various wars were a symbol of the decline to come. The Kurukshetra war is the best example of it.

In Conclusion

In conclusion, the Dwapara Yuga was an era of both valor and decline. While this era saw the epic Mahabharata and the guidance of Lord Krishna, it also saw the beginning of a move away from religion. However, Krishna’s teachings in the Bhagavad Gita are timeless. His message of performing one’s duty with a true heart regardless of the consequences is a valuable lesson for any age. By striving for righteousness in our actions and thoughts, even in Kaliyuga, we can emulate the spirit of Krishna and create a more positive future.

FAQs

What caused the decline in religious practices during Dwapara Yuga?

During this era the people started to learn the method of making weapons and their use for wars. However, this led to an increase in warfare. Also, the greed for power and authority became more prominent which led to various wars.

Which avatar of Vishnu appeared in the Dwapara Yuga?

Lord Vishnu incarnated as Krishna in this yuga to protect his people from Kansa and guide them on the path of dharma. However, some texts also mention that Gautam Buddha was also an incarnation of Vishnu who guided people on the path of dharma through non-violence.