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Kali Yuga

Updated: 12/11/2025, 5:31:47 PM Wikipedia source

Kali Yuga (Devanagari: कलियुग), in Hinduism, is the fourth, shortest, and worst of the four yugas (world ages) in a Yuga cycle, preceded by Dvapara Yuga and followed by the next cycle's Krita (Satya) Yuga. It is believed to be the present age, which is full of conflict and sin. According to Puranic sources, Krishna's death marked the end of Dvapara Yuga and the start of Kali Yuga, which is dated to 17/18 February 3102 BCE. Lasting for 432,000 years (1,200 divine years), Kali Yuga began 5,126 years ago and has 426,874 years left as of 2025 CE. Kali Yuga will end in the year 428,899 CE. Near the end of Kali Yuga, when virtues are at their worst, a cataclysm and a re-establishment of dharma occur to usher in the next cycle's Krita (Satya) Yuga, prophesied to occur by Kalki.

Tables

Kali yuga · Duration and structure
Kali-yuga-sandhya (dawn)*
Kali-yuga-sandhya (dawn)*
Part
Kali-yuga-sandhya (dawn)*
Start (– End)
3102 BCE
Length
36,000 (100)
Kali-yuga (proper)
Kali-yuga (proper)
Part
Kali-yuga (proper)
Start (– End)
32,899 CE
Length
360,000 (1,000)
Kali-yuga-sandhyamsa (dusk)
Kali-yuga-sandhyamsa (dusk)
Part
Kali-yuga-sandhyamsa (dusk)
Start (– End)
392,899–428,899 CE
Length
36,000 (100)
Years: 432,000 solar (1,200 divine)
Years: 432,000 solar (1,200 divine)
Part
Years: 432,000 solar (1,200 divine)
(*) Current.
(*) Current.
Part
(*) Current.
Part
Start (– End)
Length
Kali-yuga-sandhya (dawn)*
3102 BCE
36,000 (100)
Kali-yuga (proper)
32,899 CE
360,000 (1,000)
Kali-yuga-sandhyamsa (dusk)
392,899–428,899 CE
36,000 (100)
Years: 432,000 solar (1,200 divine)
(*) Current.

References

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  2. Calculations exclude year zero. 1 BCE to 1 CE is one year, not two.
  3. Chapter 224 (CCXXIV) in some sources: Mahabharata 12.224.
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  13. Burgess 1935, p. 19: The instant at which the [kali yuga] Age is made to commence is midnight on the meridian of Ujjayin
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  17. Godwin 2011, p. 301: The Hindu astronomers agree that the [Dvapara Yuga ended and] Kali Yuga began at midnight between F
  18. Merriam-Webster 1999, p. 629 (Kalki): At the end of the present Kali age, when virtue and religion have disappeared into
  19. Wiktionary
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  20. Wiktionary
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  24. Mysore Archeological Survey: Epigraphia Carnatica
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  25. Gupta 2010, p. 8: The current Kali Yuga (Iron Age) began at midnight on 17/18 February 3102 BC in the proleptic Julian c
  26. The Induand the Rg-Veda, Page 16, By Egbert Richter-Ushanas, ISBN 81-208-1405-3
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  33. Veda - Vedic Knowledge Online
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  35. "The Mahabharata, Book 3: Vana Parva: Markandeya-Samasya Parva: Section CLXXXIX"
    http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m03/m03189.htm
  36. Bhāgavata Purāṇa 1.16.20
  37. The Hindu
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  38. Mahabharata SECTION CLXXXIX
    http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m03/m03189.htm
  39. www.wisdomlib.org
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  41. Across the Great Border Fault: The Naturalist Myth in America
  42. Memories and Reflections of an Aryan Woman
  43. The New Encyclopedia of the Occult
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