The death of Ravan, the legendary king of Lanka, is one of the most dramatic and significant moments in the Ramayan. Yet, unlike modern historical events, it does not have a precisely recorded date. Instead, it belongs to the sacred cycles of time described in Hindu tradition — the great Yugas. To understand when Ravan died, we must travel through these eras and see where his story fits within the cosmic timeline.
The Yuga Cycle: A Cosmic Clock
Hindu philosophy describes time as cyclical, divided into four great Yugas or ages:
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Satya Yuga (Krita Yuga) — the first and longest age, marked by truth and virtue, lasting around 1,728,000 years.
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Treta Yuga — the second age, lasting about 1,296,000 years, known for the decline of absolute virtue and the rise of great kings and divine incarnations.
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Dvapara Yuga — the third age, lasting roughly 864,000 years, associated with continued moral decline and great epics like the Mahabharat.
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Kali Yuga — the current age, lasting 432,000 years, marked by strife, materialism, and spiritual ignorance. It is said to have begun in 3102 BCE.
These four Yugas together make one Mahayuga, a cycle of about 4.32 million years, which then repeats endlessly.
Ravan’s Death in Treta Yuga
According to tradition, the events of the Ramayan, including the birth of Ram and the death of Ravan, took place toward the end of the Treta Yuga. This was an age when divine incarnations walked the earth to restore dharma (righteousness).
After the Treta Yuga ended, the world entered the Dvapara Yuga, during which Krishna lived and the events of the Mahabharat unfolded. Then came the Kali Yuga, which we live in now.
Counting the Years from Today
If we look at the traditional Puranic timeline:
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Kali Yuga began in 3102 BCE — about 5127 years ago from 2025 CE.
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Before that was the Dvapara Yuga, lasting roughly 864,000 years.
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Ravan died near the end of Treta Yuga, which lasted about 1,296,000 years.
Adding these periods together, from today going backward:
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Kali Yuga: ~5127 years
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Dvapara Yuga: ~864,000 years
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Plus most of Treta Yuga until Ravan’s death
By this calculation, Ravan’s death would have happened approximately 869,000 years ago, give or take a few thousand years depending on the specific traditional version.
Beyond Numbers: What This Means
Though the numbers seem immense by modern standards, they reflect an ancient way of viewing time — not just as history, but as part of a vast cosmic rhythm. In this view, figures like Ravan and Ram are more than historical personalities: they are eternal symbols of human virtues and flaws, whose stories repeat in different forms across the ages.
While historians and archaeologists debate whether the Ramayan could have happened in a more recent era, the traditional dating places Ravan’s death firmly in the ancient Treta Yuga, long before recorded history.
In the end, the death of Ravan is not just about when it happened, but why: the timeless reminder that pride and adharma eventually fall before truth and righteousness — a message that remains meaningful in every age, including ours.
