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Read one verse of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam with its Sanskrit, word meanings, translation and study points.

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Canto 3 · The Status Quo · 33 chapters

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How to study this verse, in six steps
  1. 1Chant the verse. Say the Sanskrit slowly and carefully.
  2. 2Read the word meanings. Go through each Sanskrit word and its meaning.
  3. 3Find the meaning yourself. Before the translation, piece the meaning together from the words.
  4. 4Read the translation. Ask: what is the Lord teaching here, and how does it apply to my life?
  5. 5Read the purport slowly. Read it two or three times. Don't rush.
  6. 6Write down what touched you. Note the main points in your own notebook.
Read the full guide: how to hear the Bhāgavatam ›

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam · Text 3.11.19

Who is speaking and story frame

चत्वारि त्रीणि द्वै चैकं कृतादिषु यथाक्रमम् ।

संख्यातानि सहस्राणि द्विगुणानि शतानि च ॥ १९ ॥

catvāri trīṇi dve caikaṁ

kṛtādiṣu yathā-kramam

saṅkhyātāni sahasrāṇi

dvi-guṇāni śatāni ca

Translation

The duration of the Satya millennium equals 4,800 years of the years of the demigods; the duration of the Tretā millennium equals 3,600 years of the demigods; the duration of the Dvāpara millennium equals 2,400 years; and that of the Kali millennium is 1,200 years of the demigods.

Read Śrīla Prabhupāda's purport on Vedabase.io
1

Understand it

Three study points drawn from the translation and purport.

The Four Yugas Have Decreasing Durations

  1. 1

    One year of the demigods equals 360 human years. Satya-yuga lasts 4,800 demigod years, or 1,728,000 human years.

  2. 2

    Tretā-yuga lasts 3,600 demigod years, or 1,296,000 human years. Dvāpara-yuga lasts 2,400 demigod years, or 864,000 human years.

  3. 3

    Kali-yuga lasts 1,200 demigod years, or 432,000 human years. It is the last and shortest of the four.

Key points from the purport
  • As aforementioned, one year of the demigods is equal to 360 years of the human beings.
  • The duration of the Satya-yuga is therefore 4,800 × 360, or 1,728,000 years.
  • And the last, the Kali-yuga, is 1,200 × 360, or 432,000 years.

Śrīla Prabhupāda's own sentences, chosen from the purport as its central points. Read the full purport on Vedabase to see them in place.

How it feels

Mystery → Cosmic wonder. The origin of the world is revealed through inquiry and divine grace.

Chapters 5–12 of Canto 3: Creation and Brahmā's bewilderment. An editorial reading of the story's mood, not the text itself. See the emotional arc

Further reading

Chapter 11: Calculation of Time, from the Atom

Maitreya describes time from atomic measurements to Brahmā’s lifespan, along with cycles of creation and devastation.

Back to this verse in chapter 3.11
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Word for word

Learn the Sanskrit words of the verse.

  1. catvārifour
  2. trīṇithree
  3. dvetwo
  4. caalso
  5. ekamone
  6. kṛta-ādiṣuin the Satya-yuga
  7. yathā-kramamand subsequently others
  8. saṅkhyātāninumbering
3

Key ideas in this verse

The subject this verse serves and the themes it speaks of.

  • Sthāna · Planetary systems

    How is the universe arranged, and what is our right place in it? · Subject 3 of 10

4

Live it

Take one thing from this verse into your day.

Ask yourself

What pattern do you notice in the durations of the four yugas?

Practice

Make a four-row list pairing each yuga with its duration in human years.

5

The story around it

The story this chapter belongs to.

Live this todayThe Four Yugas Have Decreasing DurationsThis verse's lesson: one practice and one question for today

Study points are short summaries, not the translation. Confirm them in the original text and purport on Vedabase.

Ask the BhāgavatamHave a question about SB 3.11.19? Get an answer from the verses themselves.