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Hindu units of time

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Hindu religious scriptures such as the Vedas and Purāṇas describe a massive range of units of Kāla measurements, spanning right from Paramāṇu (time length of about 17 microseconds) to the Mahā-Manvantara (311.04 trillion years). According to these texts, the creation and destruction of the universe is a cyclic process, which repeats itself forever. Each cycle starts with the birth and expansion (lifetime) of the universe equaling 311.04 trillion years, followed by its complete annihilation (which also prevails for the same duration) which is done by Lord Shiv(Bholenath) .

Introduction

Ancient Hindu units of measurement are still prevalent in the Hindus and Jains communities lifestyle. They are indigenously used as a base for doing certain type of astrological calculations, performing religious rituals, following certain practices etc.

Time

Hindu measurements in logarithmic scale (approx.).

The Complete Hindu metrics of time (Kāla Vyavahāra) can be summarized as below.

Sidereal metrics
Name Definition Equivalence Remarks
Prāna प्राण ca. 4 s normal interval of respiration in humans[1]
Vipala विपल
Vighaṭi विघटि 6 Prāna ca. 24 s [1]
Vinādī विनाडी
Pala पल
Ghaṭi घटि 60 Vighaṭis ca. 24 min [1]
Nādī नाडी
Muhūrta मुहूर्त 2 Ghaṭīkā ca. 48 min
Nakṣatra Ahorātram नक्षत्र अहोरात्रम् 30 Muhūrta ca. 24 h sidereal day[2]
Sāvana Ahorātram सावन अहोरात्रम् ca. 1 d considered to begin from and end at sunrise[3]

An alternate system described in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa Time measurement section of the Viṣṇu Purāṇa Book I Chapter III is as follows:

Alternate system
Name Definition Equivalence
Kāṣṭhās 10 blinks of the eye ca. 4.11 s
Kalā 35 Kāṣṭhās 144 s, 2.4 min
Muhūrta 20 Kalās 48 min
day 30 Muhūrtas 24 h
month 30 days
Ayana 6 months
year 2 Ayanas 360 days
day (day + night) of the gods
Small units of time used in the Vedas
Name Definition Equivalence
Paramāṇu ca. 16.8 µs
Aṇu 2 Paramāṇu ca. 33.7 µs
Trasareṇu 3 Aṇu ca. 101 µs
Truṭi 3 Trasareṇu ca. 1/3290 s = ca. 304 µs
Vedha 100 Truṭi ca. 30 ms
Lava 3 Vedha ca. 91 ms
Nimeṣa (blink) 3 Lava ca. 0.273 s
Kṣaṇas 3 Nimeṣa 0.82 s
Kāṣṭhās 5 Kṣaṇa ca. 4.1 s
Laghu 15 Kāṣṭhā ca. 1 min
Nāḍika 15 Laghu ca. 15.3 min
Daṇḍa
Muhūrta 2 Daṇḍa ca. 30.7 min
Yāma 6 or 7 Muhūrta[4]
day(light) 4 praharas or 4 yamas[5]
night
day 1 day(light) + 1 night

Lunar metrics

Tropical metrics

Reckoning of time among other entities

Reckoning of time amongst the Pitṛs (ancestors)

  • 1 human fortnight (14 days) = 1 day of the Pitṛs [11]
  • 30 days of the Pitṛs = 1 month of the Pitṛs = (14 × 30 = 420 human days)
  • 12 months of the Pitṛs = 1 year of the Pitṛs = (12 months of Pitṛs × 420 human days = 5040 human days)
  • The lifespan of the Pitṛs is 100 years of the Pitṛs (= 36,000 Pitṛ days = 504,000 human days)[12]

Reckoning of time amongst the Devas

The life span of any Hindu demi - god ar a deva, spans nearly (or more than) 4.5 million years. Statistically, we can also look it as …

  • 100 Deva Years = Life Span of Devas.
  • Life span of Devas = 1 Kalp (or day of Brahma).

The Viṣṇu Purāṇa Time measurement section of the Viṣṇu Purāṇa Book I Chapter III explains the above as follows:

  • 2 Ayanas (6-month periods, see above) = 1 human year or 1 day of the devas
  • 4,000 + 400 + 400 = 4,800 divine years (= 1,728,000 human years) = 1 Sat Yuga
  • 3,000 + 300 + 300 = 3,600 divine years (= 1,296,000 human years) = 1 Tretā Yuga
  • 2,000 + 200 + 200 = 2,400 divine years (= 864,000 human years) = 1 Dvāpara Yuga
  • 1,000 + 100 + 100 = 1,200 divine years (= 432,000 human years) = 1 Kali Yuga
  • 12,000 divine year = 4 Yugas (= 4,320,000 human years) = 1 Mahā-Yuga (also is equaled to 1200 Daiva (divine) Yuga)
  • [2*12,000 = 24,000 divine year = One revolution of sun around its dual]

Reckoning of time for Brahma

  • 1000 Mahā-Yugas = 1 Kalpa = 1 day (day only) of Brahma

(2 Kalpas constitute a day and night of Brahma, 8.64 billion human years)

  • 30 days of Brahma = 1 month of Brahma (259.2 billion human years)
  • 12 months of Brahma = 1 year of Brahma (3.1104 trillion human years)
  • 50 years of Brahma = 1 Parārdha
  • 2 parardhas = 100 years of Brahma = 1 Para = 1 Mahā-Kalpa (the lifespan of Brahma)(311.04 trillion human years)

One day of Brahma is divided into 10,000 parts called caraṇas. The caraṇas are divided as follows:

The Four Yugas
4 caraṇas (1,728,000 solar years) Satya Yuga
3 caraṇas (1,296,000 solar years) Treta Yuga
2 caraṇas (864,000 solar years) Dvapara Yuga
1 caraṇas (432,000 solar years) Kali Yuga
Source: [2]

The cycle repeats itself so altogether there are 1,000 cycles of Mahā-Yuga in one day of Brahma.

  • One cycle of the above four Yugas is one Mahā-Yuga (4.32 million solar years)
  • as is confirmed by the Gītā Śloka 8.17 (statement) "sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ te 'ho-rātra-vido janāḥ", meaning, a day of brahma is of 1000 Mahā-Yuga. Thus a day of Brahma, Kalpa, is of duration: 4.32 billion solar years. Two Kalpas constitute a day and night(Adhi Sandhi) of Brahma
  • A Manvatara consists of 71 Mahā-Yuga (306,720,000 solar years). Each Manvatara is ruled by a Manu.
  • After each Manvatara follows one Saṃdhi Kalā of the same duration as a Kṛta Yuga (1,728,000 = 4 Caraṇa). (It is said that during a Saṃdhi Kalā, the entire earth is submerged in water.)
  • A Kalpa consists of a period of 4.32 Billion solar years called followed by 14 Manvataras and Saṃdhi Kalas.
  • A day of Brahma equals
(14 times 71 Mahā-Yuga) + (15 × 4 Caraṇas)
= 994 Mahā-Yuga + (15 * 4800)
= 994 Mahā-Yuga + (72,000 years)[deva years] / 6 = 12,000[deva years] viz. one maha yuga.
= 994 Mahā-Yuga + 6 Mahā-Yuga
= 1,000 Mahā-Yuga

The Surya Siddhanta definition of timescales

The Surya Siddhanta [Chapter 14 Mānādhyāyah (मानाध्यायः)], documents a comprehensive model of nine divisions of time called māna (मान) which span from very small time units (Prāņa [प्राण] - 4 seconds) to very large time scales (Para [पर] - 311.04 Trillion solar years).[13]

The current date

Currently, 50 years of Brahma have elapsed and this is the first 'day' of the 51st year.[14] This Brahma's day, Kalpa, is named as ShvetaVaraha Kalpa. Within this Day, six Manvantaras have already elapsed[15] and this is the seventh Manavatara, named as – Vaivasvatha Manvantara (or Sraddhadeva Manavatara). Within the Vaivasvatha Manavantara, 27 Mahayugas[15] (4 Yugas together is a Mahayuga), and the Krita,[16] Treta and Dwapara Yugas of the 28th Mahayuga have elapsed. This Kaliyuga is in the 28th Mahayuga. This Kaliyuga began in the year 3102 BC in the proleptic Julian Calendar.[17] Since 50 years of Brahma have already elapsed, this is the second Parardha, also called as Dvithiya Parardha.

The time elapsed since the current Brahma has taken over the task of creation can be calculated as

432000 × 10 × 1000 × 2 = 8.64 billion years (2 Kalpa (day and night) )
[3] 8.64 × 109 × 30 × 12 = 3.1104 Trillion Years (1 year of Brahma)
3.1104 × 1012 × 50 = 155.52 Trillion Years (50 years of Brahma)

(6 × 71 × 4320000 ) + 7 × 1.728 × 10^6 = 1852416000 years elapsed in first six Manvataras, and Sandhi Kalas in the current Kalpa

27 × 4320000 = 116640000 years elapsed in first 27 Mahayugas of the current Manvantara

1.728 × 10^6 + 1.296 × 10^6 + 864000 = 3888000 years elapsed in current Mahayuga

3102 + 2013 = 5115 years elapsed in current Kaliyuga.

So the total time elapsed since current Brahma is

155520000000000 +1852416000 +116640000 +3888000 +5115 = 155,521,972,949,115 years < as of 2013 AD >

The current Kali Yuga began at midnight 17 February / 18 February in 3102 BC in the proleptic Julian calendar.[17] As per the information above about Yuga periods, only 5,115 years are passed out of 432,000 years of current Kali Yuga, and hence another 426,985 years are left to complete this 28th Kali Yuga of Vaivaswatha Manvantara.

See also

Notes

  1. ^ a b c Burgess, Chapter 1, Verse 11
  2. ^ Burgess, Chapter 1, Verse 12
  3. ^ Burgess, Chapter 14, Verse 18
  4. ^ According to the Bhāgavata & Brahma-Vaivarta Purāṇa. The actual number would have to be slightly less than 6 Muhūrtas per Yama for consistency (6 times 35/36ths).
  5. ^ http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/vp/vp037.htm#fn_152
  6. ^ Burgess, Chapter 14, Verse 12
  7. ^ a b c "The Astronomial Basis of the Hindu Lunisolar Calendar".
  8. ^ Hindu calendar
  9. ^ Burgess, Chapter 14, Verse 10
  10. ^ Burgess, Chapter 14, Verse 9
  11. ^ Time Comparison from {Khapre.org} Vedic Time Converter
  12. ^ Time Comparison from {Khapre.org} Vedic Time Converter
  13. ^ Different Types of Time in Surya Siddhanta
  14. ^ Burgess, Chapter 1, Verse 21
  15. ^ a b Burgess, Chapter 1, Verse 22
  16. ^ Burgess, Chapter 1, Verse 23
  17. ^ a b Burgess, p17

References

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