There is lot of misconception about SATYAYUG. SATYA YUG as the name implies has been translated literally and people have started believing that since SATYA, a Sanskrit word means truth, and YUG means era or period, this period which goes by the name of SATYA YUG was full of people who were truthful, spiritual and God fearing. This is far from truth.
First let us understand the fact that SATYAYUG is the beginning of a new era, or new civilization. It would start after the earlier civilization, towards the end of KALYUG is consumed by man-made calamities and subsequently the survivors face the wrath of natural calamities. The sea water would then rise significantly covering almost the entire land mass. This much we know from ancient history. You can also read: HINDU HISTORY... START OF A NEW KALP .
Now we have to visualize who the fortunate ones would be, who could board various ships which would leave in HASTE from various ports all over the world, in case sea water rises significantly (the rise of sea water would be such that it could cover almost the entire land mass leaving only top of some high mountains). Obviously people who could manage the ships and the persons who are close to the power set up, would be able to board these ships. The persons close to the power set up would be powerful politicians, bureaucrats, influential religious leaders and businessmen. No saints, who by definition are persons who had renounced everything, would be a part of this.
Now let us move further to know what happens after this. These people who have boarded different ships from various parts of the world and who belong to different ethnic groups had assumed that this was just a temporary phase which they could survive, being fortunate to be on ship. But none of them had assumed that this was a TRANSITIONAL phase which would take them to an all together new era several thousands of years away. You can also read: DURATION OF A KALP .
As such hundreds of their generation would be living, on board, anchoring at times at the hill tops, only to move away back to sea, as these hill tops were witnessing looting and arson of the worst kind as there were hardly any resources left for survival. There was no food available on land. The only food was the sea food and that too in the area where the Indian sub continent existed. It is in this context MATSYA AVATAR makes sense. Some of the ships were now owned by persons who had become human flesh eaters. They were called RAKSHAS. You can also read: MATSYA AVTAR IN LIGHT OF GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS .
It is only in this background the word MANU makes sense. Man, Manushya, Marito, Mann, Maritos, Mari, is word in ancient languages for MAN. Since people of different region were on ships, with lot of intermingling during these thousands of years, the word Manu, being the leader or Captain of these desperate people, whose antecedents were not known, could be the only logical conclusion. This also gets support from the fact that during DWAPAR YUG there was a great flood, which is mentioned in every ancient history of the world, where once again a different Manu as per Hindu ancient history brought such people back to land. It is only in this context caste system written in Manu Smriti makes sense. Even why it is called Smriti has not been told. Smriti means LOG BOOK. As such caste system was necessary during those desperate time, so that for survival, rules as to how necessary work would be done could be enforced
Let us now move further. Now the churning of ocean or wave movement has once again started. Slowly they can see the increase in land mass. They decided to end their journey over sea, since now the land mass was more, they could possibly defend themselves. It must be remembered that during their long painful journey of hundreds of generation they were told again and again that there will be once again large habitable land to live on and enjoy. Most of them did not believe this; yet they were told again and again only to motivate them that this was truth or Satya. So when they ended their journey they realized that what they were told was truth or Satya, and as such the yug is called SATYA YUG.
Now the first thing these desperate people whose antecedents were not known, did was to call themselves ARYANS (the PUREST ONES), to differentiate themselves from Rakshas, the human flesh eaters.
Satya yug has unnecessarily been glorified to mean a YUG of TRUTH and FAIR play associated with it. Rakshas dominated during the major period of SATYAYUG, and that is the fact, or TRUTH or SATYA; Hirnakashyap, and Bali being important Rakshas kings, told to us by history. Hirnakashyap was killed by Naringh, an evolved Human with tail, whose fact resembled a lion. Bali was CHEATED to part with his Kingdom by a dwarf Brahmin. Once again nothing wrong in it if we believe that Human race has to ensure its supremacy on earth by fair and foul means. But the Satya or truth is that deceit was used to force him to abdicate.
Regarding evolved humans, known as Vaanars, there exploitation was severe and both from Kingdoms (or Aryans) and Rakshas. The exploitation was so severe that the future avatar of Parashuram could not arrest that. Shri Ram ended this exploitation.
Summarizing the above, we have to accept that there was nothing SATYA about SATYAYUG except the name. Everyone knows it is a beginning of new civilization, and such beginning would invariably be accompanied by exploitation of weaker section and females. This would be told to you by any social scientist. But in SATYAYUG this problem was further COMPOUNDED by the presence of Rakshas and other humans who have survived and entered this new civilization..
If one passes the judgment that Satyayug was the worst period for living beings typically called Humans, one may not be wrong.
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