Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 18
Kāla-vibhāga: The Divisions of Time from Atom to Brahmā, and the Lord Beyond Time
मैत्रेय उवाच कृतं त्रेता द्वापरं च कलिश्चेति चतुर्युगम् । दिव्यैर्द्वादशभिर्वर्षै: सावधानं निरूपितम् ॥ १८ ॥
maitreya uvāca kṛtaṁ tretā dvāparaṁ ca kaliś ceti catur-yugam divyair dvādaśabhir varṣaiḥ sāvadhānaṁ nirūpitam
Maitreya nói: Hỡi Vidura, bốn thời đại gọi là Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara và Kali, hợp lại thành chatur-yuga. Tổng thời lượng của chúng bằng mười hai nghìn năm của chư thiên.
The years of the demigods are equal to 360 years of humankind. As will be clarified in the subsequent verses, 12,000 of the demigods’ years, including the transitional periods which are called yuga-sandhyās, comprise the total of the aforementioned four millenniums. Thus the aggregate of the above-mentioned four millenniums is 4,320,000 years.
FAQs
This verse states that Kṛta (Satya), Tretā, Dvāpara, and Kali together form one catur-yuga, and that its duration is carefully defined as twelve divine years.
In this chapter Maitreya is explaining the structure of time and cosmic measurement; defining the yuga cycle establishes how large-scale time is organized in the Bhagavatam’s cosmology.
It encourages perspective: human life is brief within vast cosmic time, so one can prioritize dharma, devotion, and sincere practice rather than temporary distractions.