Chaturyuga refers to a cycle of four yugas. The four yugas refer to cosmic ages that are used in the Vedic sanatan system for measuring universal time. The names of those four ages are – Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dwapara Yuga and Kali Yuga.
The four main principles of Dharma are:
- Truth (Satya),
- Cleanliness (Swachata),
- Kindness (Daya) and
- Forgiveness (Kshama).
These four principles have been referred as four pillars or legs of Dharma in various scriptures (e.g. Srimad Bhagwat Puran). During Satya Yuga all four pillars of Dharma were intact in the society and therefore everyone lived a happy life and happiness, peace, prosperity, stability were reflected in the human society. The total time duration of Satya Yuga is 17,68,000 years.
Treta Yuga comes after Satya Yuga. The age of this era is 12,96,000 years. By the start of the Treta Yuga, cleanliness is gone and rest of the three pillars of Dharma were intact –
- Truth (Satya),
- Kindness (Daya) and
- Forgiveness (Kshama).
After this age, according to the yuga cycle, the Dwapar yuga arrives. The time period of this era is 8,64,000 years. In this age only two principles of Dharma remain intact, and those two principles are-
- Truth (Satya) and
- Forgiveness (Kshama)
After all these Yugas, the fourth and last Yuga is Kali Yuga. The duration of this era is 4,32,000 years. In this yuga, three principles of Dharma gets eroded, and only one principle remains, and that is –
- Truth (Satya)
As the Kali Yuga progresses even truth is steadily eroded and by the end of Kaliyuga, even the last pillar of Dharma “truth” that was left, gets eroded too. The Manusmriti scriptures of Vaivaswat Manu ji contain evidence that in the end of Kali Yuga, Dharama remains in its final state only through charity. But Mahapurush Panchasakha, by the permission of the Lord, has described in Bhavishya Malika this Yuga system in detail by amending the description of the age of Kali Yuga, and the time and condition written in Manusmriti.
“धर्म चारिपाद निश्चय कटिब हरि आश्रा कर नर,
सुकर्म कुकर्म बिचारी पारिले पाद पद्मे स्थान पाई“
Meaning:-
Mahapurush Achyutanand ji writes in Bhavishya Malika that at the time of completion of Kali Yuga, along with the complete end of four principles of Dharma, big calamities, famine will be faced by the whole world. Mahapurush terms the said time as ‘Sangam Yuga’ or ‘Yuga Sandhya’.
He has also warned everyone that by chanting “Hari Naam” (i.e. name of Lord Vishnu), and following teachings of Malika Granth, the people who practice the Vedic or sanatan way of life will be able to enter in Satya Yuga.
“चत्त्वार्य्जाहु सहस्राणि बर्षाणां तत्क्रृतम् युगम्,
तस्य ताबछ्छती संध्या संध्यांशश्च तथाबिधः“
Manusmriti-
The meaning of the above verse quoted (taken) from Manusmriti is – after four thousand years, Satyayuga comes. The period of Paramayu and its transition period (Sandhya) of that four thousand years is one tenth year of the total Paramayu. That is –
Age of Kali Yuga = 4000 years
Two transition period at the beginning of Kali Yuga and the end of Dwapara Yuga = 400X2 = 800 years
Total sum of 4,800 years has been mentioned as the age of Kaliyuga.
“चत्त्वार्य्जाद सहश्राणि चत्त्वार्य्जाद शतानिचम्,
कलेर्ज्यदा गमिस्यंति तदापूर्वम् युगाश्रितम्।“
Nirnay Sindhu-
In the above verse taken from the Nirnay Sindhu, it is clearly stated that after 4,000 years, the transition period will be 400 years, then the beginning of the subsequent era will be combined again with 400 years of transition period (Sandhya-kal), and there kaliyuga will have a total duration of 4800 years.
“अदाश्वत्वः सहश्राणि कलै चतुः शतानिचम्,
गते गिरि बरेहि श्री नाथ प्रादुर्भविष्यतिं।“
Garga Samhita-
The meaning of this verse quoted from Garga Samhita is that, after 4000 years of Kaliyug, a transition period of 400 years will continue, after this transition period (Sandhya-Kal) Lord Mahavishnu (Shri Nath) will incarnate on earth and destroy the burden of sins.
According to the above remarks made in the scriptures Manusmriti, Nirnay Sindhu and Garga Sahinta, the age of Kaliyuga is 4000 years. One tenth of this total age is the transition period (sandhya-kal) i.e. 400 years. Kaliyuga will begin with a 400 years of transition period and 4,800 (i.e. 4000+400+400) years will be the total time span of Kaliyuga.
According to Manusmriti, Niranaya Sindhu and Garga Samhita scripture, the total time span of Kaliyuga is 4,800 years. These scriptures are thousands of years old. The great Panchasakhas (five friends) composed the Bhavishya Malika Granth about 600 years ago. the Panchasakhas slightly modified the description of the old scriptures in their Malika granth with the direction of “Nirakarji” (i.e. formless God). Panchsakhas added 200 years to the total time span of 4,800 years and described the age of Kaliyug as 5,000 years.
“चारि लक्ष जे बतिश सहस्त्र, कलियुग र अटइ आयुष
पाप भारा रे कलि तुटिजिब, पांच सस्र कलि भोग होइब।।“
Bhakta Chetawani- Achyutananda-
Mahapurush Achyutanand ji, by the instructions of “Nirakar ji” (i.e. formless God), mentions in his book ‘Bhakt Chetavani’ that, the complete time span of Kaliyug is 4,32,000 years but due to the sins, the age of the Kalyuga era will reduce and there will be only 5,000 years of time period.
“ठिकणा अमर पुर,
ठाकुर तहीं रु हेबे बाहार, रामचन्द्र रे,
ठारि पांच सहस्र कु धर, रामचन्द्र रे“
Bhavishyat Chautisa, Achyutananda-
Mahapurush Achyutananda also mentions in his book ‘Bhavishyat Chautisa’ that Kaliyuga will have only 5,000 years of time span. In the above verse, Achyutanand ji clearly said that Lord Shri Jagannath will incarnate in human form from Nilanchal Dham (i.e. Shri Jagannath temple, Puri) when Kali Yuga ends in 5,000 years.
“ठिकणा अच्युत कले,
‘ठ‘ तिनी बामे पांच रखिले रामचन्द्र हे।
ठकि जिब मिन शनी भले रामचन्द्र हे।।“
Bhavishya Malika, Achyutananda-
Meaning:-
Mahapurush Achyutanand ji in his scripture ‘Bhavishyat Malika’ mentions in a cryptic way that after writing ‘Th’ (‘0’ in Oriya language) three times, write five (5) on its left side (means that after 5,000 years of Kali Yuga), when Saturn will enter in Pisces (around year 2025) at that time a terrible disaster will befall the human society. During such a terrible time pious devotees will follow the Malika Granth and they will be able to understand it.
“एबे पांच ठिक कहिबा शुण, बारंग बिचारे चित्त रे घेन।
पांच सहस्र जेतेबेले हेब, संपूर्ण लीला प्रकाश होइब“
Mahagupta Padmakalpa- Shishu Anant Das-
Amongst the Panchasakhas, another Mahapurush Shri Shishu Anant Das Ji Maharaj has written about Kaliyuga in his granth ‘Mahagupta Padmakalpa’. He mentioned that Kaliyuga will end in 5,000 years and then God’s divine sport will start.
“बारंग बोलइ शुणिमा गोसाईं कुह भविष्य बिचार,
केतेबेले कल्कि अवतार हेबे शुणईं मुखु तुंम्भर।
शिशु बोलंति हे शुणिमा बारंग कलंकी स्वरूप होइ,
युग संधि पांच सहस्र बरष जेबे जिब भोग होइ।
जेसनेक निशि पाहिले प्रभात युग संधि एहा जांच,
सेमंत समये कलंकी स्वरूप हेबे प्रभु नारायण।
समक्षरा बता शुणि आदिकरि प्रमाण एहाकु कर,
सबु एक ठाबे मिशाइ कहिण करिबु पांच हजार।
एहि समय कु लये करिथिबु कहिलि हे बाबु तोते,
ठिकरे ए कथा देखाइ कहिलु रखिथिबु हृद गते“
Aagat Bhavishyat–Shishu Anant-
Again Mahapurush Shri Shishu Anant Ji Maharaj, in his book ‘Aagat Bhavishyat‘, answering the question of his disciple Barang, says that, during transition period after the end of Kaliyuga, (i.e. in Sangam Yuga) Lord Narayan will incarnate as Lord Shri Kalkiram.
“संबश्चर पांच सहस्र कलि होइब शेष,
सत्य युग आद्य होइब शुभ जोगे प्रकाश।
साधु संत माने बसिबे सभा आरंभ करि,
सेहि समस्त न्कु पुजिबे पटुआर आबोरि।
हरि शबद रे मातिबे हरि भकत माने,
हरष होइबे हृद रे दुःखी दरिद्र माने।
फिटिब प्रजा न्क कषण कष्ट होइब नाश,
क्षमे हाडि दास भणिले आगत जे भविष्य।“
Kali Chautisa- Hadi Das-
After the demise of the Panchasakhas, Mahant and clairvoyant Mahapurush Haadi Das of Chhatia Batt of Orissa, who has been certified in Malika Shastra as the ninth birth of great sage Achyutananda ji, also wrote about the end of Kaliyuga using his divine vision in his book ‘Kali Chautisa’ for the welfare of the devotees and to alert the human society. He mentioned that in 5,000 years the Kaliyuga will end and after that Sandhyayuga i.e. Adi Satyayuga will start.
Lord Kalki will remove the burden of sins of the human society by incarnating on earth in human form. He will establish truth, peace, kindness, forgiveness, friendship and religion.
Lord Kalki will form Sudharma Maha Mahasangh and propagate Sudharma Maha Mahasangh and Sanatan Dharma all over the world. Sadhus and Saints will propagate Sanatan Dharma in villages, towns, country and the whole world. The suffering of saints and sages will go away and the evil people will be destroyed. The atmosphere of truth will be reflected in the whole world and auspicious and blissful days will come for the devotees.
“निश्व अवतार अबनी ऊपर निलांबर पुर बास,
निश्चे पांच सस्र भोग र अंतेण होइथिबु जे नरेश“
Uddhav Bhakti Pradayini- Achyutananda-
In Mahapurush Achyutanand ji’s ‘Uddhava Bhakti Pradayini’, there is a dialogue between Sri Krishna and Uddhava. In that dialogue, while answering Uddhava’s question, Sri Krishna says that after five thousand years of Kaliyuga, Lord Vishnu with 64 kala (arts) will incarnate on the earth in the human form as Shri Kalki and he will rule the whole world.
“चहटिब लीला तु चारि रे मिशा एक,
चढा तिनि शुन तहिं जेते हेला ठीक।
चलिजिब घोर कलि दलिदेबे मिलि,
चेताइण गीते कहे अच्युत जे भालि।“
Bhavishya Malika- Achyutananda-
Again Mahpurush Achyutanand ji says in his granth ‘Bhavishyat Malika’ that, after five thousand years of Kalyuga’s time span, Lord Kalki will incarnate and perform “leela” (i.e. divine sport).
“कलियुग पांच सहस्र गले, बिष्णु जे जनम होइबे भले।
पांच सहस्र रे नर शरीरे, बिष्णु जे राजुति करिबे भले“
Patta Madan- Shishu Anant
Mahapurush Shishu Anant Ji Maharaj writes something similar in his Malika Granth ‘Patta Madan’. He mentions that at the end of Kaliyuga in five thousand years, Lord Vishnu will appear on earth in the form of human form in 64 Kala (arts), as Kalki avatar, and he will rule the world.
“ए जे सुबाहु जुग कलि, क्षिण आयुष महाबली।
पापे सकल क्षय जिब, पांच सहस्र भोग हेब।“
AdiSamhita- Achyutananda-
Mahapurush Achyutanand ji has written in his book ‘Adi Samhita’ that the age of Kalyug is 4,32,000 years but due to the sinful deeds done by humans, the time span will reduce, and only five thousand years will remain.
It is proved from the scriptures of Mahapurush Achyutanand ji and all other sages that the total age of Kalyug is 4,32,000 years but due to the terrible sinful deeds done by humans, there will be only five thousand years of total time period. After the end of Kaliyuga, in the Sangam Yuga, Lord Kalki will take the human form and establish Dharma.
“Jai Jagannath”