Yuga

[[File:Yugas-Ages-based-on-Sri-Yukteswar.png|165px|thumb|Yuga cycle as based on descriptions from {{w|Sri Yukteswar}}... written in mix of English and German for some reason.]]
{{Hinduism}}
{{hatnote|Not to be confused with [[yoga]]; as yuga refers to the Hindu cosmic age into which one is born, while yoga refers to the Hindu spiritual practices undertaken to attain spiritual realization or liberation.}}
'''''Yuga''''' is a concept from [[Hindu]] [[cosmology]] referring to vast, [[Cyclical theory|cyclical]] "ages" of the [[universe]], supposedly spanning hundreds of thousands of years. According to "[[tradition]]",{{efn|This "tradition" is actually a relatively recent addition to Hinduism, being decidedly post-Vedic (the Vedas originated between 1500-900 BCE) and the classical formulation emerging during the Puranic Period around 300-1000 CE. See {{sl|Origins}} for more.}} [[humanity]]&nbsp;— and the [[universe]] itself&nbsp;— go through four ''yuga''s, each characterized by a [[Declinism|gradual decline]] in virtue, [[morality]] and general competence at being a decent [[human]].<ref name="Thapar1996"/><ref>[https://www.britannica.com/topic/yuga Britannica Editors (2025, March 7). yuga. Encyclopedia Britannica.] (retrieved Feb. 13, 2026)</ref><ref> Sharma, Arvind, 'Chapter 5 The Four Ages (Yugas) and Human Rights', Hinduism and Human Rights: A Conceptual Approach (Delhi, 2004; online edn, Oxford Academic, 18 Oct. 2012), https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195665857.003.0006, accessed 13 Feb. 2026. </ref><ref name="GonzReim2014">González-Reimann, L. (2014). The Yugas: Their Importance in India and their Use by Western Intellectuals and Esoteric and New Age Writers. 2014. Religion Compass, 8(12), 357–370. https://doi.org/10.1111/REC3.12139</ref> Outside of Hinduism, the idea of ''yuga''s are a favorite not only in [[woo]]-tastic [[astrology]]&nbsp;— and [[New Age]] circles, but also serving as a convenient moral cudgel used by [[Conservatism|social conservatives]] and [[cultural]] [[tradition]]alists.<ref name="GonzReim2014"/><ref name="Strube2020">Strube, Julian. (2020). Hinduism, Western Esotericism, and New Age Religion in Europe. 10.1163/9789004432284_009.</ref><ref>Hanegraaff, W. J. (1997). New Age Religion and Western Culture: Esotericism in the Mirror of Secular Thought. State University of New York Press. (esp. chapters 11-12, 14, 16) {{isbn|9780791438541}}</ref>

==Basics==
===Origins===
The earliest [[List of Hindu texts#Vedas|Vedic texts]] circa 1500-1000 BCE (especially the {{w|Rigveda}}) actually ''do not''  describe ''yuga''s as fixed cosmic world ages. However, these texts did introduce two foundational ideas that would form the concept of yugas; a cyclical view of time rather than linear history (though this cyclical aspect is implicit in rituals and natural cycles, not a fully developed cosmic cycle) and the {{wpl|Ṛta|''Ṛta''}} (cosmic order), which could weaken or be disrupted and then restored. Together, these ideas provided the philosophical basis for later reflections on cosmic degeneration and renewal, even though the formal ''yuga'' system with four world ages had not yet developed at that time.<ref> Bronkhorst, J. (2023). "Chapter 8 Cyclical Time in Brahmanical India: Origin and Development". In Science and Society in the Sanskrit World. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004536869_010</ref><ref>Cohen, S. (2020). Time in the Upaniṣads. Religions, 11(2), 60. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11020060 </ref><ref>Achar, B. N. N. (1997). A note on the five‑year yuga of the Vedāṅga Jyotiṣa. Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies, 3(4). https://doi.org/10.11588/ejvs.1997.4.825</ref><ref name="Kak_2001">Kak, S. (2001). Birth and early development of Indian astronomy. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.physics/0101063</ref>

Epic and Dharma literature from roughly 500 BCE to 200 CE preserves the earliest fully articulated and systematic formulations of the ''yuga''s as distinct world ages. Texts such as the ''{{w|Mahābhārata}}'' and the ''{{w|Manusmṛti}}'' clearly name the four ''yuga''s&nbnsp;— Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara, and Kali&nbnsp;— and associate them with a progressive decline of {{wpl|Dharma|''dharma''|,}} symbolized by ''dharma'' standing on four, three, two, and finally one leg. In these works, earlier philosophical notions of moral decline and cyclic time are developed into a coherent cosmological framework.<ref>González-Reimann, Luis. (2019). The Mahābhārata and the Yugas. </ref><ref>Brodbeck, S. 2022. Divine Descent and the Four World-Ages in the Mahābhārata - or, Why Does the Krsna Avatāra Inaugurate the Worst Yuga?. Pp. 13-46. Cardiff: Cardiff University Press. DOI: https://doi.org/10.18573/book9.b. Licence: CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0</ref><ref name="Thapar1996"> Thapar, Romila, 'Time and the Decline of Dharma', Time as a Metaphor of History: Early India: The Krishna Bharadwaj Memorial Lecture (Delhi, 1996; online edn, Oxford Academic, 18 Oct. 2012), https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195637984.003.0005, accessed 15 Feb. 2026.</ref>

This became a fully developed cosmological system between roughly 300 and 1000 CE, when ''yuga'' doctrine reached its most detailed and standardized form in the ''Puranic literature'', especially the {{w|Puranas|''Puranas''|.}} During this period, the yugas were assigned precise numerical durations (for example, Kali Yuga = 432,000 years) and were integrated into increasingly large temporal cycles, including the ''mahāyuga'' (the four ''yuga''s combined or a "''yuga'' cycle"), the ''Manvantara'' and the ''Kalpa'' (day of [[Hinduism#Brahma|Brahma]]). Together, these elements formed a fully cyclical cosmology of creation, dissolution and renewal. This Puranic model is the version of the yuga system most commonly referenced today.<ref name="GonzReim2014"/><ref name="Kak_2001"/><ref name="Dwarkanath2025">Dwarkanath Chikmagalur Moorthy, D. (2025, September 8). The mathematical and cosmological logic of Yuga cycles (SSRN Scholarly Paper No. 5457834). Social Science Research Network. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5457834</ref><ref> Koul, Sanjay, Exploring the Puranas The Cultural and Spiritual Tapestry of Hinduism (August 29, 2024). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=5165905 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.5165905</ref>

===Know your Yugas===
# '''Satya Yuga (Age of Truth)''' - Duration: 1,728,000 years. Humanity is basically a bunch of enlightened saints (actually the similar term ''sant'' in Hinduism). No laws were needed because everyone naturally did the right thing. Crime? Ha! Not in this ''yuga''.
# '''Treta Yuga (Age of Three)'''&nbsp;— Duration: 1,296,000 years. ''Dharma'' drops slightly (one-quarter gone). Humans start having disagreements, some minor corruption, and the occasional war. Epic literature like the ''Ramayana'' supposedly happens here.
# '''Dvapara Yuga (Age of Two)'''&nbsp;— Duration: 864,000 years. ''Dharma'' is halved. Humanity becomes more [[materialist]]ic, less [[Spirituality|spiritual]], and apparently worse at not murdering each other. The ''Mahabharata'' saga takes place in this era.
# '''Kali Yuga (Age of Darkness)'''&nbsp;— Duration: 432,000 years. Virtue is reduced to one-quarter. Ignorance, greed, and bad decisions reign supreme. Apparently, this is the one we are currently living in, which supposedly began in 3102 BCE.
A full cycle of the four Yugas is called a '''''mahāyuga''''' (alternatively the '''Yuga Cycle'''), totaling 4.32 million years. 1,000 ''mahayuga''s supposedly equal a ''kalpa'', which is a "day" in the life of Brahma, the Hindu creator god. After each ''kalpa'', the universe allegedly hits the reset button&nbsp;— think computer OS update for all existence&nbsp;— before starting all over again, or the (now disfavored based on evidence) cosmological model known as the {{wpl|Big Bounce||.}}

==Analysis==
From a [[rationalist]] standpoint, the ''yuga'' system is less a history lesson and more a cosmic morality play with some spectacularly long numbers attached. The timelines&nbsp;— millions of years for each age&nbsp;— aren’t backed by [[geology]], [[archaeology]] or [[astronomy]]. [[Radiometric dating]] and [[fossil]]s show (anatomical) humans emerged only 200,000-300,000 years ago, with civilization under 15,000 years old, yet the Yugas claim millions of years per age&nbsp;— an impossible stretch. Archaeology confirms it; writing begins around 3200 BCE, the [[Indus Valley Civilization|Indus Valley]] is just 4,500 years old and there's no trace of cities, tools or monuments from either ''Treta'' or ''Dvapara Yuga''. Astronomical cycles such as {{w|precession}} and {{w|planetary motion}} also do not support the multimillion-year durations given for the Yugas.<ref> Davies, William, ' The Emergence of Homo Sapiens Sapiens', in Chris Gosden, Barry Cunliffe, and Rosemary A. Joyce (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Archaeology (2009; online edn, Oxford Academic, 18 Sept. 2012), https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199271016.013.0012, accessed 14 Feb. 2026.</ref><ref>Condorelli, M. (2022). A Short History of Writing. In Introducing Historical Orthography (pp. 19–38). chapter, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.</ref><ref> Frenez, D.  (2023, October 18). Indus Valley: Early Commercial Connections with Central and Western Asia. Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Asian History. Retrieved 14 Feb. 2026, from https://oxfordre.com/asianhistory/view/10.1093/acrefore/9780190277727.001.0001/acrefore-9780190277727-e-595.</ref><ref> BERGER André, YIN Qiuzhen (January 5, 2025), Astronomical theories of climate: a long history, Encyclopedia of the Environment, Accessed February 14, 2026 [online ISSN 2555-0950] url : https://www.encyclopedie-environnement.org/en/climate/astronomical-theories-of-climate-long-history/.</ref> 

In practice, the ''yuga'' system is a [[Social degeneration|declinist]] narrative tool that frames the present age as morally and spiritually degraded. In this [[rhetorical]] usage, it functions similarly to other [[religion]]s' decline frameworks&nbsp;— such as [[Jewish]] ''{{w|yeridat ha-dorot}}'' or [[Christian]] ''[[dispensationalism]]''&nbsp;— by interpreting social exhaustion as evidence of crisis, the discourse produces increased deference to authority, sharpens moral boundaries and ultimately facilitates collective mobilization.<ref name="Hiltebeitel2011">Hiltebeitel, Alf, 'Dharma over Time, II: Prophesies of Disaster', Dharma: Its Early History in Law, Religion, and Narrative, South Asia Research (2011; online edn, Oxford Academic, 22 Sept. 2011), https://doi.org/10.1093/acprof:oso/9780195394238.003.0007, accessed 14 Feb. 2026.</ref><ref name="Grasse2025">Grasse, R. (2025). The Problem of the Yugas. The Problem of the Yugas.</ref><ref name="GonzReim2014"/><ref name="Thapar1996"/>

===New age mumbo-jumbo===
In [[New Age]] movements, the traditional Hindu concept of yugas is often reinterpreted to fit modern spiritual, [[psychological]] and [[evolutionary]] frameworks. Unlike the orthodox cyclical view (which emphasizes inevitable decline and renewal), New Age thought portrays ''yuga''s as markers of "collective spiritual evolution"&nbsp;— highlighting progress, awakening and the potential for higher consciousness. Kali Yuga, for instance, is often seen less as an era of degeneration and more as a transitional period, while the higher ''yuga''s represent intuition, harmony and unity. Rather than literal spans of thousands of years, yugas are frequently understood as symbolic states of consciousness, with individuals and societies potentially experiencing multiple ''yuga''s simultaneously depending on their awareness.<ref name="GonzReim2014"/><ref name="Strube2020"/>

Western reinterpretations of ''yuga''s emerged through a blend of historical figures and cultural movements. {{w|Sri Yukteswar}} proposed a roughly 24,000-year cycle,{{efn|Suggesting that humanity has recently exited the Kali Yuga and is entering&nbsp;— or is already in&nbsp;— a higher age of consciousness.}} while {{w|Paramahansa Yogananda}} popularized Eastern spirituality among Western audiences.<ref name="Grasse2025"/><ref name="Dwarkanath2025"/><ref>Neumann, David J., Finding God through Yoga: Paramahansa Yogananda and Modern American Religion in a Global Age (Chapel Hill, NC, 2019; online edn, North Carolina Scholarship Online, 23 Jan. 2020), https://doi.org/10.5149/northcarolina/9781469648637.001.0001, accessed 10 Feb. 2026.</ref> Theosophical ideas, particularly those of [[Helena Blavatsky]] and the [[Theosophical Society]], merged Hindu cycles with concepts such as {{w|root race||s}} and {{w|Theosophical Society#Hidden Masters|hidden masters|,}} shaping early esoteric interpretations.<ref> Prophet, E. (2018). Hermetic Influences on the Evolutionary System of Helena Blavatsky’s Theosophy. Gnosis: Journal of Gnostic Studies, 3(1), 84-111. https://doi.org/10.1163/2451859X-12340050</ref><ref>Julian Strube, Theosophy, Race, and the Study of Esotericism, Journal of the American Academy of Religion, Volume 89, Issue 4, December 2021, Pages 1180–1189, https://doi.org/10.1093/jaarel/lfab109 </ref><ref> Lubelsky, I. (2013). "Mythological and Real Race Issues in Theosophy". In Handbook of the Theosophical Current. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004235977_017</ref> Later, writers such as [[Alan Watts]] and [[Timothy Leary]] [[Framing|reframed]] ''yuga''s as psychological and cultural stages rather than purely cosmic time periods, influencing the {{w|Beat Generation}} and [[Hippies|hippie counterculture]].<ref name="Partridge2018"> Partridge, Christopher, 'Revolution in the Head', High Culture: Drugs, Mysticism, and the Pursuit of Transcendence in the Modern World (New York, 2018; online edn, Oxford Academic, 24 May 2018), https://doi.org/10.1093/oso/9780190459116.003.0008, accessed 15 Feb. 2026. </ref><ref>Singh, B. R. (2009). The Concept of the Yuga: Modern Scientific Approaches to Bridge Spiritual and Philosophical Concepts. In M. Paranjape (Ed.), Science, Spirituality and the Modernisation of India (pp. 149–161). chapter, Anthem Press.</ref><ref name="Richter2024">Richter, I. (2024). Psychonauts and Seekers: West German Entanglements in the Spiritual Turn of the Global 1960s and 1970s. Contemporary European History, 33(1), 250–266. doi:10.1017/S0960777322000121</ref>

Indeed, the 1960s hippie movement further popularized these ideas, framing ''Kali Yuga'' as a symbol of contemporary social chaos and emphasizing personal and collective spiritual awakening. Elements such as [[astrology]] (notably the [[Age of Aquarius]]), [[Psychedelic drug|psychedelic experiences]], {{w|communal living||,}} music festivals (such as {{w|Woodstock}}) and {{wpl|psychedelic rock}} lyrics all reinforced the symbolic and transformative aspects of yugas. Through [[literature]], [[music]] and broader popular culture. These eclectic interpretations became central to the emerging New Age movement of the 1970s, which emphasized optimism, personal growth and the possibility that human consciousness could be consciously accelerated beyond material limitations, often diverging from classical religious sources.<ref>{{cite book |last= Oliver|first=Paul |date=2014 |title=Hinduism and the 1960s: The Rise of a Counter-Culture |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Hinduism_and_the_1960s/OVmCBAAAQBAJ|publisher= Bloomsbury Publishing |chapter= esp. 4-6, 9, 11 |isbn=9781472527653 |access-date=February 16, 2026}}</ref><ref>Sangwa, Sixbert. (2025). Age of Aquarius: Alice Bailey, New-Age Syncretism, and the Quest for a One-World Faith. Open Journal of Science, Philosophy & Theology (ISSN: 3105-3041). 1. 10.65655/OCP.0075.</ref><ref>Larkin, Ralph. (2015). Counterculture: 1960s and Beyond. International Encyclopedia of the Social & Behavioral Sciences. 10.1016/B978-0-08-097086-8.32197-3. </ref><ref>Nimrod, G. (2022). The Hippies. In The Aging of Aquarius: The Hippies of the 60s in Their 60s and Beyond (pp. 13–35). chapter, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.</ref><ref name="Richter2024"/><ref>Ketola, K. (2004). THE HARE KRISHNA AND THE COUNTERCULTURE IN THE LIGHT OF THE THEORY OF DIVERGENT MODES OF RELIGIOSITY. Method & Theory in the Study of Religion, 16(3), 301–320. http://www.jstor.org/stable/23551300</ref><ref name="Sixbert2026">Sangwa, Sixbert. (2026). New Age Spirituality: Origins, Beliefs, Practices, Symbols, and Biblical Discernment. Open Journal of Science, Philosophy & Theology (ISSN: 3105-3041). 2. 10.65655/OCP.0076.</ref>

In contemporary New Age thought, ''yuga''s serve as frameworks for understanding societal crises, [[Technology|technological]] advances, and shifts in collective consciousness. They offer a perspective centered on hope, progress, and human potential, contrasting with the traditional Hindu emphasis on dharma, discipline, and the inevitability of cyclical decline. By reframing cosmic time as a reflection of evolving awareness, New Age interpretations present yugas as both a guide and inspiration for spiritual development in modern life.<ref name="GonzReim2014"/><ref name="Strube2020"/><ref name="Sixbert2026"/><ref>Finnegan, J. (1992). The New Age Movement: A New Religion. The Furrow, 43(6), 351–359. http://www.jstor.org/stable/27662219</ref><ref> Jacobs, B. J. (2020). Getting off the Wheel: A Conceptual History of the New Age Concept of Enlightenment. Numen, 67(4), 373-401. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685276-12341588</ref>

===Right-wing socio-cultural politics===
[[File:Rene-guenon-1925 (cropped).jpg|125px|thumb|right|French intellectual {{w|René Guénon}} was one of the first Western scholars to use ''Kali Yuga'' to critique modernity and advance a reactionary "traditionalist" [[worldview]].<ref name="Sedgwick2016"/>]]
[[Social conservative]]s&nbsp;— regardless if they are Hindus or not&nbsp;— love to invoke Kali Yuga, the so-called "Age of Darkness" where virtue is scarce, greed runs rampant, and everyone is apparently doomed to moral failure.  For conservatives, it serves as the [[Appeal to shame|perfect tool for shaming]] anyone who dares to enjoy [[Modernity|modern life]]&nbsp;— [[feminism]], [[LGBTQ+]] visibility, casual relationships, pop culture, [[Western]] influence&nbsp;— you name it. Indeed, "Western Traditionalist" and [[alt-right]] circles appropriate Kali Yuga for such purposes, with it being a notable [[dogwhistle]] and mainstay in the [[Indian_alt-right_glossary#Kali_Yuga|Indian alt-right lexicon]]. This [[framing]] has a long pedigree, as thinkers such as [[Julius Evola]], [[Savitri Devi]] and {{w|René Guénon}} all used the concept to legitimize [[authoritarian]] or [[fascist]] [[politics]]. The idea being ''"we’re living in Kali Yuga and [[Other|"your"]] [[Degenerate|behavior]] proves it"''&nbsp;— which, while [[fallacious]] (a little something called [[affirming the consequent]]), has proven effective enough to ensnare the [[mark]]s.<ref name="Tuters2020">Tuters, Marc. (2020). Esoteric Fascism Online. 10.4324/9781003026433-18. </ref><ref name="Sedgwick2016"/><ref>{{cite book |author1=Patrik Hermansson|author2= David Lawrence|author3= Joe Mulhall|author4= Simon Murdoch |date=2020 |title= The International Alt-Right: Fascism for the 21st Century?|url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_International_Alt_Right/43fNDwAAQBAJ|publisher= Taylor & Francis|chapter= 17. MYTH, MYSTICISM, INDIA, AND THE ALT-RIGHT |isbn=9780429627095 |access-date=February 16, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last= Stern |first=Alexandra Minna |date= 2019 |title=Proud Boys and the White Ethnostate: How the Alt-Right Is Warping the American Imagination |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Proud_Boys_and_the_White_Ethnostate/_--dDwAAQBAJ |publisher=Beacon Press |page=38-49, 112 |isbn= 9780807063361|access-date=February 16, 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Griffin  |first= Roger|date=1991 |title=The Radical Right and the New Europe, 1900-1991: Myths and Counter-myths |url= https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Radical_Right_and_the_New_Europe_190/yzAnAQAAMAAJ |publisher= Institute of International Studies, College of Liberal Arts|page=16 |access-date=February 16, 2026}}</ref>

Meanwhile, [[internet]]-era [[conspiracy theorists]] and [[alternative history]] buffs have latched onto Kali Yuga like it’s a universal cheat code for understanding the [[apocalypse]]. The present era, they say, is a prophesied cocktail of moral decay, tech obsession, [[environmental]] disaster and corrupt leadership. Some even argue the age is secretly controlled by shadowy elites or that we’re trapped in a repeating "[[Simulated reality|simulation]] loop" of societal collapse. Bonus points if one throws in imminent {{w|Kalki}} arrival predictions or hidden [[Golden Age]]s that modern historians are supposedly covering up. Figures such as {{w|Sri Yukteswar}} and [[Sadhguru]] tend appear in these discussions, offering interpretations that range from "we might be transitioning to a better age" to "you should just sit back and enjoy the chaos". The internet has been useful to spread the "Kali Yuga is ending next year!" rumors&nbsp;— proving that, if anything, misinformation itself is alive and thriving in the Age of Darkness.<ref name="Tuters2020"/><ref>[https://philarchive.org/archive/BENNAO-2 Sotillos, S. B. (2013). New Age or the Kali‑Yuga? AHP Perspective, 1, 15–21.] (PDF)</ref><ref>[https://oa-bowdoin.libnova.com/view/4963/surfing-the-kali-yuga-tracking-the-alt-right-on-twitter Hodge‑Adams, J. (2023). Surfing the Kali Yuga: Tracking the alt‑right on Twitter (Honors thesis, Bowdoin College, Department of Government and Legal Studies). Bowdoin College Digital Collections.] (retrieved Feb 16 2026)</ref>

====…and why they are wrong====
Historically, classical texts such as the ''Garuda Purana'' and ''Bhagavata Purana'' describe Kali Yuga as a period of moral and social decline, yet these texts also emphasize that devotional practices ({{w|bhakti}}) as a accessible path to apparent spiritual progress in this epoch, even for those who wouldn't know a Vedic ritual from a grocery list. Select Hindu teachers (such as {{w|Sant Tukaram}} and {{w|Swami Vivekananda}}{{efn|Mind you, these two still have some views that can be considered questionable.}}) offered guidance for surviving this "special" age; some optimistically assured followers that chaos is temporary and the next ''Satya Yuga'' will restore order, while others suggested accepting societal dysfunction as a given and focusing on personal discipline&nbsp;— because apparently, that’s easier than fixing the world.<ref>Holdrege, B.A. Sex, Gender, and Devotional Desire: Refiguring Bodily Identities in Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇava Discourse. Hindu Studies 28, 171–208 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11407-024-09361-w</ref><ref name="Jarali2025">Jarali,  S. (2025). Agnihotra in the Kali Yuga: A Study of the Śatapatha Brāhmaṇa’s Kāṇva Recension and its Ritual Adaptation. Preprints. https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202512.0703.v1</ref>

That is, ''Kali Yuga'' is portrayed as a time when external virtue may be scarce, but internal effort is more effective. Though whether or not it actually makes enlightenment/liberation/{{wpl|Moksha|''moksha''}} any easier remains up for debate. Additionally, ''nobody is supposed to be immune to effects of the Kali Yuga's degeneration'' and the conservatives&nbsp;— who like throwing the word around so much&nbsp;— rarely mention that this cosmic curse also applies to themselves.<ref name="Jarali2025"/><ref>Rocher, L. (1986). The Purāṇas. O. Harrassowitz. pp. 455-465.</ref><ref>Rosen, S. (2006). Essential Hinduism. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 182. {{isbn|9780313071553}}</ref><ref>Doniger, Wendy. The Hindus: An Alternative History. Penguin, 2009, p. 345. {{isbn|9781101028001}}</ref><ref>Fuller, C. J. The Camphor Flame: Popular Hinduism and Society in India. Princeton University Press, 2004, p. 198. {{isbn|9780691120485}}</ref>

Still, the concept of Kali Yuga has often been oversimplified or misappropriated in political, religious, and popular discourse, with narratives of doom emphasized at the expense of moral agency and adaptability. Scholars broadly argue that the decline-centered readings discourage constructive action, rely on selective interpretation of texts and substitute rhetorical [[nostalgia]] for historical analysis.<ref name="Hiltebeitel2011"/><ref>Barua, A. (2011). Metaphors of Temporality: Revisiting the “Timeless Hinduism” versus “Historical Christianity” Antithesis. Harvard Theological Review, 104(2), 147–169. doi:10.1017/S0017816011000137</ref><ref> Beane, W. C. (1977). "Chapter Five The Eschatological Structure of the Regeneration of Time : Kali-yuga". In Myth, Cult and Symbols in Śākta Hinduism. Leiden, The Netherlands: Brill. https://doi.org/10.1163/9789004642867_008</ref><ref>Chakrabarty, U. (2025). Performing the Divine’s Narratives: An Exploration of the Kathāvācaka Tradition of Storytelling. Interdisciplinary Journal for Religion and Transformation in Contemporary Society, 11(2), 570-587. https://doi.org/10.30965/23642807-bja10142 </ref> In contemporary politics, critics such as {{w|Christophe Jaffrelot}} note that [[Hindu nationalist]] rhetoric at times weaponizes Kali Yuga to attribute social decay to [[Xenophobia|minorities]] or [[secularism]]. Historically, reformers such as {{w|Periyar}} observed that depictions of Kali Yuga's vices were similarly mobilized to legitimize [[caste]] and [[gender]] hierarchies.<ref>Jaffrelot, C. (Ed.). (2007). Hindu Nationalism: A Reader. Princeton University Press. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt7s415</ref><ref>Frøystad, K. (2023). Killing for the Hindu Nation: Hindu Nationalism and Its Violent Excesses. In M. Kitts (Ed.), The Cambridge Companion to Religion and War (pp. 349–368). chapter, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.</ref><ref> Manoharan, K. R. (2020). Freedom from God: Periyar and Religion. Religions, 11(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/rel11010010 </ref><ref>[https://polsci.institute/social-political-thought-modern-india/periyar-critique-hinduism-brahminical-domination/ Periyar’s critique of Hinduism and Brahminical domination]. (2025, September 20). PolSci Institute. Retrieved February 16, 2026</ref>

==Cranks who use ''yuga''s for their bullshit==
{{collist|4|
* [[Meivazhi|Meivazhi Salai Andavargal]]
* {{w|Samael Aun Weor}} alias Víctor Manuel Gómez Rodríguez<ref>Aun Weor, S. (2025). Secret Doctrine of Anahuac. (n.p.): Glorian Publishing. {{isbn|9781943358328}}</ref>
* [[Helena Blavatsky]]<ref>The Collected Works of H. P. Blavatsky. Illustrated: The Secret Doctrine, Isis Unveiled, The Voice of the Silence, Key To Theosophy, What Is Theosophy? and others. (2022). (n.p.): Strelbytskyy Multimedia Publishing.</ref>
* John Davidson (author of ''[[Natural Creation or Natural Selection?: A Complete New Theory of Evolution]]'')
* [[Savitri Devi]] alias Maximiani Julia Portas<ref>{{cite book |last= Goodrick-Clarke |first=Nicholas |date=2000|orig-date=1998 |title= Hitler's Priestess: Savitri Devi, the Hindu-Aryan Myth, and Neo-Nazism|url= https://www.google.com/books/edition/Hitler_s_Priestess/bgkVCgAAQBAJ |publisher=NYU Press |page=110-124 |isbn=9780814731116 |access-date=February 13, 2026}}</ref>
* [[The Spirit Science|Jordan Duchnycz]] alias Jordan Pearce
* [[Aleksandr Dugin]]
* [[Julius Evola]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Goodrick-Clarke |first= N. |date= 2003|title=Black Sun: Aryan Cults, Esoteric Nazism, and the Politics of Identity |publisher=NYU Press |chapter= 3. Julius Evola and the Kali Yuga |isbn= 9780814731550}}</ref>
* {{w|René Guénon}}<ref name="Sedgwick2016">Sedgwick, M. (2016). René Guénon and Traditionalism. In G. A. Magee (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Western Mysticism and Esotericism (pp. 308–321). chapter, Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.</ref>
* {{w|Manly P. Hall}}<ref>Hall, M. P. (2025). The Classic Collection of Manly P. Hall. Illustrated: The Secret Teachings of All Ages, The Lost Keys of Freemasonry, The Initiates of the Flame. Andrii Ponomarenko. {{isbn|9786178289218}}</ref>
* [[Graham Hancock]]<ref>[https://grahamhancock.com/dmisrab17/ July 2024 AOM: YUGA SHIFT: The End of the Kali Yuga & the Impending Planetary Transformation by Bibhu Dev Misra  (Interview)]</ref>
* [[Linda Moulton Howe]]
* [[David Icke]]<ref>[https://davidicke.com/2023/02/16/the-end-of-the-kali-yuga-in-2025-unravelling-the-mysteries-of-the-yuga-cycle/ The End of the Kali Yuga in 2025: Unravelling the Mysteries of the Yuga Cycle, Neil Hague - memes and headline comments by David Icke (16 February 2023)] (retrieved Feb 16, 2026)</ref>
* [[Timothy Leary]]<ref>{{cite book |last= Leary |first=Timothy |date=2024|orig-date= 1999|title= Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out|url= https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/yE6VCgAAQBAJ|quote= When the individual's behavior and consciousness get hooked to a routine sequence of external actions, he is a dead robot, and it is time for him to die and be reborn. Time to "drop out," "turn on," and "tune in." <u>This period of robotization is called the Kali Yuga, the Age of Strife and Empire, the peak of so-called civilization, the Johnson Administration, etc.</u> This relentless law of death, life, change is the rhythm of the galaxies and the seasons, the rhythm of the seed. It never stops.|publisher=Ronin Publishing |chapter= 1. Start Your Own Religion |isbn=9781579511050 |access-date=February 14, 2026}}</ref>
* {{w|Jordan Maxwell}}
* [[Hercólubus|V.M. Rabolu]] alias Joaquin Enrique Amortegui Valbuena
* [[Joe Rogan]]<ref>[https://www.instagram.com/p/CWxaIYWFvfH/ Joe Rogan (joerogan) on instagram: "We are in Kali Yuga.  The age of conflict.  All of the chaos we’re seeing right now was predicted in Hinduism thousands of years ago. Civilizations move in predictable cycles, and we are in the lower left hand square of the chart. Do your best to elevate yourself and the world around you from the madness that is in the air, but understand that this insanity is all a part of an infinite process."] (posted November 27, 2021; retrieved February 12, 2026)</ref><ref>[https://www.opindia.com/2021/11/joe-rogan-instagram-post-kali-yuga-hinduism-chaos/ ‘The chaos we are seeing was predicted in Hinduism thousands of years ago’: Joe Rogan speaks of ‘Kali Yuga’ in Insta Post. Joe Rogan shared a popular meme that describes a cycle of strong men producing good times and good times producing weak mean, who in turn produce difficult times, which in turn produces strong men. The meme was in the political compass format.] (27 November, 2021).</ref>{{efn|Keep in mind that this is Joe Rogan we are talking about, and the man changes his mind like rest of us change out of dirty clothes.}}
* [[Rupert Sheldrake]]
* [[Zecharia Sitchin]]
* Jordan Sather (deplatformed [[QAnon]] YouTuber)
* [[Jaggi Vasudev]] alias Sadhguru
* [[Alan Watts]]<ref>{{cite book |last=Watts |first=Alan |date=1977 |title= The essence of Alan Watts|url= https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Essence_of_Alan_Watts/bO0PAQAAIAAJ |publisher= Celestial Arts |page=189 |isbn=9780890872109 |access-date=February 16, 2026}}</ref>
* [[David Wilcock]]
* {{w|Paramahansa Yogananda}}
}}

==See also==
*[[De-evolution]]
*[[Dispensationalism]]&nbsp;— a post-[[Biblical]] [[Christian]] counterpart to this Hindu system (both being later inventions in their respective religions), dividing history into distinct, morally declining epochs.
*[[Oswald Spengler]]&nbsp;— [[German]] cyclical declinist theorist/philosopher who developed a system that mirrors the ''yuga'' cycle in its structure but utilizes seasonal metaphors for culture's internal stages.

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note|2}}

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

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Categories: Conspiracy theories, Conspirituality, Conservative deceit, Crank magnetism, Culture, End of the world, Fascism, Folklore, Fundamentalism, Hinduism, Hindu nationalism, Indian politics, Morality, New Age, Orientalist woo, Propaganda, Pseudoastronomy, Pseudohistory, Pseudoscience, Philosophy, Racism, Religion, Religious terms, Sexism, Social degeneration, Woo