Satya Yuga (Krita Yuga)
The first and golden age of truth, when dharma stood on all four legs
The Satya Yuga — also called the Krita Yuga — is the first and most righteous of the four ages of the world. Lasting 1,728,000 years, it is the golden age in which dharma (pictured as a bull) stood firmly on all four legs, and truth (satya) reigned without rival. There was no falsehood, no disease and no fear; people lived by meditation and inner austerity alone, and the gods walked close to the earth. In this age Lord Vishnu descended as Matsya, Kurma, Varaha and Narasimha.
Interesting Facts
- ✦The Satya Yuga lasted 1,728,000 years — the first and the longest of the four ages.
- ✦It is also called the Krita Yuga, "the age that is accomplished", for dharma was complete and whole.
- ✦Dharma, the bull, stood on all four legs — austerity, cleanliness, compassion and truthfulness were complete.
- ✦Four avatars of Vishnu appeared: Matsya (the fish), Kurma (the tortoise), Varaha (the boar) and Narasimha (the man-lion).
- ✦There was one religion and one Veda; people needed no temples or rituals, attaining all by meditation.
- ✦By Puranic reckoning, human beings lived for about 100,000 years and were of immense stature and purity.
The golden age of truth
At the dawn of each great cycle of time stands the Satya Yuga, the age of truth. It is the longest of the four ages, enduring 1,728,000 human years, and the purest. Its other name, Krita Yuga, means "the age that is done or accomplished" — for in it dharma was perfect and nothing remained to be achieved.
Dharma, the sacred order pictured as a four-legged bull, stood firm on all four legs: austerity, purity, compassion and truth were each complete and unshaken. There was no falsehood, no sorrow, no disease and no fear. All people were devoted to the same single truth, and the distinctions and quarrels of later ages were unknown.
Life by meditation alone
In the Satya Yuga people needed neither temples, nor images, nor elaborate rituals. The means of dharma in this age was meditation (dhyana) and inner austerity (tapas). By contemplation alone the wise attained the highest knowledge and union with God, and the human mind was naturally turned toward the divine.
Human life was vast — some hundred thousand years by the Puranic account — and people were tall, strong, serene and free of want. There was a single Veda and a single dharma followed by all. The earth gave its fruits freely, and gods and sages moved openly among human beings. It is the lost memory of this perfect beginning that every later age looks back upon with longing.
The avatars of the Satya Yuga
The first four of the ten avatars of Vishnu appeared in the Satya Yuga. Matsya, the great fish, saved Manu and the seeds of all life from the cosmic flood. Kurma, the tortoise, bore Mount Mandara upon his back as the gods and demons churned the ocean of milk for the nectar of immortality.
Varaha, the boar, dived into the cosmic waters to lift the drowning earth upon his tusks and slay the demon Hiranyaksha. And Narasimha, the man-lion, burst from a pillar at twilight to destroy the tyrant Hiranyakashipu and save his devoted son Prahlada — showing that God is present everywhere, and protects those who take refuge in him. With these descents the Satya Yuga ran its long course, and gave way at last to the Treta Yuga.
Related Mantras & Stotras
Frequently Asked Questions
How long did the Satya Yuga last?
The Satya Yuga (Krita Yuga) lasted 1,728,000 human years — the first and longest of the four ages. Together the four yugas make up one chaturyuga of 4,320,000 years.
Why is the Satya Yuga called the golden age?
Because dharma stood on all four legs — austerity, purity, compassion and truth were complete. There was no falsehood, disease or fear; people lived by meditation alone and were naturally turned toward God, making it the purest and most righteous of the ages.
Which avatars came in the Satya Yuga?
The first four avatars of Vishnu appeared in the Satya Yuga: Matsya (the fish), Kurma (the tortoise), Varaha (the boar) and Narasimha (the man-lion who saved Prahlada).
What is the difference between Satya Yuga and Krita Yuga?
They are two names for the same age. "Satya" means truth and "Krita" means accomplished or complete — both describe the first, perfect age in which dharma was whole.