# कलियुग (kaliyuga)

Canonical page: https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/kali-yuga

कलियुग (kaliyuga) is a Sanskrit word meaning the Kali age, the present or iron age, the iron age, the fourth or Kali age, the fourth and present age of the world, the fourth age of the world in Hindu cosmology. Its 8 recorded definitions are grouped into 3 contexts, among them The Kali Age (Concise Definitions), Kali Yuga (Detailed Epic/Puranic Accounts), Kali Yuga (Cross-references).

- **SLP1:** `kaliyuga`  **IAST:** kaliyuga  **Devanagari:** कलियुग
- **Declensions:** 48 forms — https://sanskritlexicon.com/word/kali-yuga/declensions.md

## Meanings by context

### The Kali Age (Concise Definitions) (5 definitions)
- the Kali age  
  *Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899)*
  > (H3) [Printed book page 262,1] कलि (kali) — युग (—yuga) n. the Kali age (see above), Manu-smṛti (Title) i, 85; MBh. &c. [ ID=45962 ]
- the fourth or Kali age  
  *Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कलियुग (kaliyuga) [Printed book page 064-3 ] कलियुग (kaliyuga) kali-yuga, n. the fourth or Kali age. [ ID=5626 ]
- The present or iron age  
  *Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कलि (kali) युग (yuga) (kaliyuga) [Printed book page 202 ] कलि (kali) युग (yuga) (kaliyuga) n. ( - गं (-gaṃ) ) The Kali, the present or iron age: see कलि (kali). E. कलि (kali), and युग (yuga) an age. [ ID=9579 ]
- The iron age  
  *Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कलियुग (kaliyuga) [Printed book page 170-a ] कलि - युग (kali-yuga) ( गः ) ((gaḥ)) 1. n. The iron age. [ ID=9013 ]
- The present or iron age  
  *Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कलि (kali) युग (yuga) (kaliyuga) [Printed book page 166-a ] कलि (kali) युग (yuga) (kaliyuga) n. ( - गं (-gaṃ) ) The Kali, the present or iron age: see कलि (kali). E. कलि (kali), (kali,) and युग (yuga) an age. [ ID=9574 ]

### Kali Yuga (Detailed Epic/Puranic Accounts) (2 definitions)
- the fourth age of the world in Hindu cosmology  
  *Index to the Names in the Mahabharata*
  > कलियुग (kaliyuga) [Printed book page 377-1 ] Kaliyuga, the fourth yuga. § 375 (Tīrthayātrāp.): III, 85, 8233 (in the K. the Gaṅgā is sacred). § 429 (cf. Hanūmad- Bhīmasaṃvāda). In the K. only a quarter of virtue ( dharma ) abides, Nārāyaṇa is black, etc.: III, 149, 11257 ( tāmasaṃ yugaṃ ), 11261.—§ 458 (Mārkaṇḍeyas.): III, 188, 12829 (comprises 1,000 [celestial] years), 12831 ( b : description of K. (many Mleccha, Āndhra, Śaka, Pulinda, Yavana, Kāmboja, Bāhlika, Śūra, and Ābhīra kings will then rule, etc.)).—§ 459 (do.): III, 189, 12981 (in the K. Nārāyaṇa becomes black ( kṛṣṇa )).—§ 460 (do.): III, 190, 13011 [13019 ( tāmasaṃ yugaṃ )] ( b : description of the K. : at the end of the yuga the best robes will be made of flax ( vastrāṇāṃ pravarā śaṇī, v. 13027) and koradūṣakāḥ (the fruits of Paspalum frumentaceum ) will be the best grains, men will live on fish and milk, goats and sheep, for the cows will be extinct (cf. v. 13035: “they will employ cows and calves that are only one year old to draw the plough”); men will resort to those countries where wheat and barley form the staple food (v. 13052); the highest lifetime will become sixteen years; renouncing the gods men will worship bones (i.e. relics; eḍūkān, v. 13074); in the hermitages of the great ṛṣis and the schools and colleges of brahmans, and in places sacred to the gods, and in the sacrificial compounds ( caityeṣu ), and in the dwellings of the nāgas (i.e. the sacred tanks), the earth will be dotted with eḍūkāḥ, and not graced with temples of the gods ( devagṛha ); at last seven suns will appear).— § 581 (Bhīṣmavadhap.): VI, 66, 3012 ( Dvāparasya yugasyānte ādau K°sya ca, then Kṛṣṇa is hymned).—§ 615 (Gadāyuddhap.): IX, 60, 3364 ( prāptaṃ K°ṃ viddhi ).— § 664 (Mokṣadh.): XII, 207, 7557 ( °e…dvandvam āpedire janāḥ ).—§ 677 (do.): XII, 232, 8504 ( anye — sc. dharmāḥ—K°e ); 233, 8543 ( Dvāpare viplavaṃ yānti yajñāḥ K°e tathā ), 8546 ( dṛśyante na ca dṛśyante Vedāḥ K°e 'khilāḥ ); 239, 8727 ( Dvāpare viplavaṃ yānti Vedāḥ K°e tathā ).—§ 679 (do.): XII, 261, 9264 ( anye K°e dharmāḥ ).—§ 683 (do.): XII, 268 α, 9593.—§ 766 (Ānuśāsanik.); XIII, 129, 6095 ( imaṃ K°ṃ prāpya ). Cf. Kali 1. [ ID=5207 ]
- The fourth age of the world, characterized by unrighteousness, the decay of morality and civilization, the predominance of heretics and lower castes, and the supremacy of darkness and theft, lasting for thousands of years until the advent of Kalki.  
  *The Purana Index*
  > कलियुग (kaliyuga) [Printed book page 1-333 ] Kaliyuga — the features of the yuga, and its discontents. Removed by hearing the story of Kṛṣṇa, as the Ṛṣis did in the Naimiṣa forest. The source of unrighteousness. 1 Form of Hari worshipped in. 2 Reflections on the conduct of castes and observance of dharma by persons. Kali becomes Kṛta after the avatār of Kalki. When the Saptaṛṣis traverse Maghas, and on the day when Kṛṣṇa left the earth for Heaven then began Kali of 1200 divine years. Grows in strength commencing with Nanda. The actual beginning was when Kṛṣṇa left for Vaikuṇṭha; a description of the yuga. Worship of Hari by Kīrtana. 3 Its advent was recognised by Mucukunda from the smallness of the men, plants, trees, etc., which he saw after he woke up from his long sleep. 4 Deterioration of Vedic dharma and rise of Pākhaṇḍas. Incarnation of Pramati in the form of a horse who puts down all heretics and the unrighteous. 5 Predominance of here- Page1-334+ 38 tics and Śūdras in; 6 106,000 or 360,000-duration of; its san- dhyāmśa 1,000 years. 7 Noted for theft; see Tṛṣyam; 8 dānam the chief act and tamas the chief quality. 9 descrip- tion of the evils of: bad rule and decay of civilization and morality; age of man 23 years; began with Parīkṣit when the two first stars of seven Ṛṣis were in Magha; its duration according to the calculation of men 360,800. Then comes Kṛta. 10 [ Footnote: 1) Bhā. I. 1. 10, 16 & 21; 12. 26; 15. 36-7; XI. 5. 20, 31-42; Vā. 58. 30-73.] [ Footnote: 2) M. 142. 17-27; 273. 49; Vā. 99. 429.] [ Footnote: 3) Bhā. XII. chap. 2 & 3.] [ Footnote: 4) Ib. X. 52. 2.] [ Footnote: 5) Br. II. 29. 23-34; 31. 5-102; III. 14. 46. 74. 207-241; M. 144. 30-88.] [ Footnote: 6) Vā. 78. 36.] [ Footnote: 7) Vā. 32. 63; 99. 264; 102. 4. M. 273. 27-33, 45. 50.] [ Footnote: 8) Br. II. 7. 59.] [ Footnote: 9) Vā. 8. 66.] [ Footnote: 10) Vi. IV. 24. 71-96, 97, 109. 114-15.] [ ID=2663 ]

### Kali Yuga (Cross-references) (1 definition)
- the fourth and present age of the world  
  *Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary*
  > कलि (kali) युग (kaliyuga) [Printed book page 174-20 ] कलि (kali)- युग (kali-yuga) n. See कलि (kali) 1, M. i.85. [ ID=8629 ]

## Sources

Definitions from Index to the Names in the Mahabharata; Macdonell Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899); Shabda-Sagara Sanskrit-English Dictionary; The Purana Index; Vaidya Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Wilson Sanskrit-English Dictionary; Yates Sanskrit-English Dictionary.
Text from the Cologne Digital Sanskrit Lexicon, University of Cologne.

The Sanskrit Lexicon app for iPhone, iPad and Mac: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/sanskrit-lexicon-dictionary/id6746787546