Yuga (Skt.). An ‘age’ in Hinduism, one of the four periods into which a world cycle is divided: (i) kṛta (or satya)-yuga, the golden age when there is unity (one god, one veda, one ritual), in which the varnas perform their roles without oppression or envy; (ii) tretā-yuga when righteousness begins to decline by a quarter and sacrifice begins; (iii) dvāpara-yuga, when righteousness again declines by a quarter, the Vedas split into four, and few study them; (iv) kali-yuga, further decline by a quarter, when disease, despair, and conflict dominate. At present, we are in (iv), which began 3102 BCE, so that one should not be optimistic about the general prospect for the world.

yuga in Hindu belief, any of the four ages of the life of the world.