This is the fourth article in our Yuga series, where we narrate to you the qualities, timelines, and various other aspects of Dwapar Yuga. The third in the cycle of Maha Yuga is the Dwapar Yuga which lasts 864,000 human years. The Dwapar Yuga is described as seeing the first drastic decline in the righteousness of humanity.
1. The overall decline in Dwapar Yuga
The dharma bull now only stands on two legs, so the overall moral standards of people in the Dwapar Yuga drop immensely in this age. In this age adherence to the Vedas becomes less acute and the Vedas are divided into the four parts that we know today. As the Riga, Sama, Yajur, and Atharvaveda more seriously, the caste system of the varnas are neglected during this time, along with the Yagyas people living in the Dwapar Yuga were zealous valiant, courageous, and competitive by nature, but are also discontent with life and far away from spirituality.
2. Moral Decline in Human Behaviour
More battles are waged on a grand scale, and kingdoms became solidified and out of touch with the general population. As a result, social class systems are created and have their method of attaining division. Further, the people were cosmopolitan and pleasure-seeking and so the divine intellect ceased to exist, and it was therefore very rare that anyone was wholly truthful because of this life of deceit.
3. Living Standards and Health of People declined
The living standards also decreased in the Dwapar Yuga, with the average life expectancy of humans falling to only a few centuries. People were plagued by ailments, diseases, and all sorts of desires. After suffering from these diseases, some people came to realize their misdeeds and perform penance along with charity.
4. People became Materialistic
Righteous activities did not go much beyond this in the Dwapar Yuga, while some did attempt to organize sacrifices, they did so out of pretension, mostly seeking material benefits rather than meaningful connection with the divine. The virtue accorded the highest value in this era was Archana or worship. Despite these discouraging trends, the Dwapar Yuga was also characterized by some more positive elements.
5. Advancements in Dwapar Yuga
Science flourished during this period, and people experienced the spiritual in terms of subtle energies and rational choices, as in the Treta Yuga inventions were once again abundant, particularly those that dissolved the illusion of distance between people and between things. Further, this age played host to all the events described in the great Mahabharata epic, including the incarnation of our beloved deity, Vasudev Shri Krishna, who is the eighth avatar of Vishnu, and his subsequent participation in the battle between the righteous Pandavas and their corrupt counterparts the Kauravas. Included in this Yuga is the Bhagavad-gita, the single most popular set of teachings in Hinduism, wherein Krishna unravels the nature of the universe for the pensive Pandava warrior arjuna according to the Puranas. This Yuga ended the moment when Krishna died and returned to his eternal abode of Vaikunthdham.