vedic time system - ___ veda

Vedic Time System

The Hindu view of time can be broadly referred to as the Vedic Time System. kala(Time) is regarded as not linear or single-directional movement, like an arrow speedingfrom past to future. The idea of Time itself was quite advanced in Hindu Heritage. TheHindu concept talks of Rhythm or universal order which is manifested as Time. TimeRhythm range from the fast ticking of the atom to the expansion of the entire cosmos Time unfolding within the geological process of the Earth the change of the season, thelife cycle of a fly etc.

Kala (Time) itself is connected to Lord Siva in Indian Heritage. Siva is called Maha Kala the great Time. His consort Kali personifies the energy of Time.

Based on Astronomical ScienceThe Hindu klagaan (chronology) does not depend on any mundane event like thebirth of a person, coronation of a king or the military success of an emperor. But itdepends only on the movements of various heavenly bodies in the cosmos, or in otherwords, on astronomical science. Judging from this viewpoint, the Indian chronology aloneis scientific since all other current chronologies are based on mundane event like the birthof a person, or the victory of a race over the other, or the rule of a particular dynasty, orrunning away of a man from one city to another to save his life and so on.

But during the British colonial rule, the foreign rulers could have been successful toinculcate the idea that the entire concept of Hindu chronology is merely a mythologicalfiction without having any scientific basis. As a matter of fact, those foreign rulers framedthe education system of Bharatvarsha (the Indian subcontinent) with the sinister view ofturning the people away from their own heritage and culture and to make them respectfulto whatever is Western (see Macaulayism). The most unfortunate part of the episode isthat, practically nothing has been done to counter this trend during past fifty years afterobtaining freedom. As a result, most of the people of this country do not even know howrich and ancient their own culture is and, on the contrary, have developed a mentality to

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Table of Contents

Based on Astronomical Science

Cyclic Nature of Time

The Division of Time

Smallest Unit of Time

Hour

Seven Days of Week

Fortnight, Month and Year

Samvatsara The Year Cycles

Yuga

Mahayuga (Chaturyuga) The Yuga Cycles

Time of the Devas The Cosmic Years

Kalpa A Cosmic Day of Brahm

Manvantara

Mahakalpa Brahma's Lifespan

Present date in Time

Kaliyuga calendar

Outline

slight whatever is Indian. As a burning example of this trend, we are blindly following themost unscientific Christian chronology and do not even care to know what the Hinduchronology is.

Cyclic Nature of TimeFrom a keen observation of a number of physical phenomena, it is easy to infer that theyare repetitive, cyclic, and follow a definite time duration. The most evident repetitivephenomena are the solar cycle-rotation of the earth on its own axis and the revolution ofthe earth around the sun.

Another repetitive phenomenon is that of a seed growing into a sapling, then to a plantand finally a tree. Before the tree dies it leaves behind a new seed for another tree andthe cycle repeats infinitely. Every potential seed is a subtle form of the future tree havingthe complete information of the tree genetically encoded within it and every tree carrieswithin it a potential seed for another future tree. Likewise the heat of the sun causeswater to evaporate to form clouds, which shed their water over land , forming streamsand rivers which ultimately wind their way back to the ocean, to once again repeat thecycle.

Since we are very much accustomed to these phenomena, it is very easy to accept themwithout raising an eyebrow. Apart form these evident cycles the least understood and lessapparent are the Human and Absolute Time cycles. To comprehend the Human cycle withany degree of clarity, it is essential to comprehend that the physical body is a constantlychanging mass of material elements, while the soul is eternal. The soul takes a body justbefore birth and plays its part as a baby, infant, child, adolescent, adult and an elderlyperson and then leaves the body to take another body to go through a similar cycle onceagain.

Again everybody is aware of the cyclical nature of time which means that time neither hasa beginning nor an end. So logically speaking time is always represented on paper as acircle.

Every second repeats itself every 60SECONDS. (60seconds = 1 minute).Every minute repeats itself every 60MINUTES. (60 minutes = 1 hour).Every hour repeats itself every 24HOURS. (24 hours = 1 day).Every day repeats itself every 365DAYS. (365 days = 1 year).Every year repeats itself in: ? ? ? ?YEARS ?

So logically speaking every year shouldalso repeat itself after a certain period oftime. Can this answer be given by anyhuman being? Can Science give us adefinite answer to this question?


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Pralaya

ReferencesCERTAINLY NOT.

In the Hindu system, Years are named and there are 60 names. Once the 60 names arefinished, the next year starts with the first name again. This goes on in a cyclic manner.Beyond this level there are 4 epochs or Yugas, namely, Krita Yuga, Treta Yuga,Dvapara Yuga, and Kali yuga.

The Division of TimeIn the Vedas, Time is equated with the Kala (Consciousness Time) is the source of thedivisions of time. It unites procession recession and stasis.

Kalo gatinivrtti sthiti: samdadhati (Sankhayana Aranyaka 7.20).

Time, according to Surya Siddhanta, has both its virtual and practical divisions; theformer is called murta (embodied), the latter amurta (virtual or Unembodied). TheSurya Siddhanta delineates that what begins with prana (respiration) is called real; thatwhat begins with truti (atoms) is called unreal.

Smallest Unit of TimeVedic astronomy give a very detailed division of the Time upto the lowest sub divisionlevel of pra (respiration), a time lapse of four seconds. The lowest sub divisions prais the same part of the day as the minute is of the circle, so that a respiration of time isequivalent to a minute of apparent revolution of the heavenly bodies above the earth. Theastronomical division of sidereal time are:

1 paramanu 60,750th of a second

1 trui = 29.6296 microseconds

1 tatpara = 2.96296 milliseconds

1 nimesha = 88.889 milliseconds

45 nimesha = 1 pra 4 seconds

6 pra = 1 vind 24 seconds

60 vinds = 1 nad 24 minutes

60 nds = 1 ahortra

As, according to modern standards, 24 hours make 1 day and night, one finds that, 1ndi or dada is equal to 24 minutes, 1 vind is equal to 24 seconds, 1 asu or pra isequal to 4 seconds, 1 nimesha is equal to 88.889 milliseconds, 1 tatpara is equal to2.96296 milliseconds and finally 1 trui is equal to 29.6296 microseconds or 33,750th partof second. It is really amazing that the Indian astronomers, at such a long time ago, couldconceive and obviously could measure such a small interval of time like trui. It should bementioned here that, 1 unit of pra is the time an average healthy man needs tocomplete one respiration or to pronounce ten long syllables called guravakara.


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The Puranic division of the day is somewhat different. According to this, Kala (Time) isborn out of Sun. The counting starts from nimesha (twinkling of an eye). (Source: SryaSiddhnta).

100 truti (atoms) = 1 tatpara (speck)

30 tatpara (specks) = 1 nimesha (twinkling)

18 nimesha (twinklings) = 1 kashtha (bit)

30 kashtha (bits) = 1 kala (~minute)

30 kala (minutes) = 1 ghatika (~half-hour)

2 ghatika (half hour) = 1 kshana/muhrta (~hour)

30 kshana/muhrta (hour) = 1 ahortra (~day).

Truti is referred to as a quarter of the time of falling of an eye lid.

1 muhrta equal to 48 minutes, 1 ghai equal to 24 minutes. 1 kal equal to 48 seconds,1 kh equal to 1.6 seconds and 1 nimea equal to 88.889 milliseconds as obtainedabove. In its daily motion, the earth rotates around its axis at a speed of nearly 1660 Kmper hour and its illuminated half is called ahh (day) and the dark half is called rtri(night). From the system of units of time given above, one finds that 60 ghais or ndsmake 1 day and night.

Vedic astronomical texts divide the above units of time broadly into two categories; (i)mrttaklah and (ii) amrtaklah. The units of the former kind are manifested (mrttah)by the nature while, those of the latter kind are created by man. From this view point,ahortra, pra or asu. nimea are mrttaklah and the rest are amrttaklah.

Hour

Deleting the leading letter a and the trailing tra from ahortra, one is left with the wordhor, and from this hor, another system of measuring time, the Hor System,introduced in this country by the celebrated Hindu astronomer Varha Mihira, by dividinga day and night into 24 hors. Many believe that from this Hor System the entire worldhas adopted the present practice of dividing a day and night into 24 hours and moreover,from Sanskrit hor, English hour, Latin hora and Greek ora () have been derived. It isinteresting to note here that, one can derive the names of the seven days of a week fromthis Hor System as well. One has to assume a lord for each hor of the day and Ravivrais to be accepted as the first day of the week, but counting is to be made in the reverse ordescending order and the fourth place gives the name of the following day.

Seven Days of WeekWhy seven days make a week? And wherefrom the names of these seven days havecome? Every Indian will be pleased to know that it is also a gift of India to the entireworld. We have seen earlier that, 60 ghais or dadas make one day and night orahortra. Indian astronomers dedicated each ghai of the day to a planet as its lord andderived the name of the day as per the lord of the first ghai of the day.


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surya sunday

soma monday

mangala tuesday

budha wednesday

guru thursday

shukra friday

shani saturday

rahu & ketu eclipse

The sun or Ravi being the most powerful among the planets, as well as the giver andsustainer of life, has been honoured to be the lord of first ghai of the first day of theweek. Hence it is named Ravivra or Sunday. In Figure-1, the lords of second and thirdghais of Ravivra are Mars and Jupiter respectively. Proceeding in this manner, Saturn isthe lord of the 60th ghai of Ravivra and the moon or Soma becomes the lord of the firstghai of the following day and hence it is named Somavra or Monday (Moonday). Onemay notice here that in counting 60 ghais along the circle of Firure-1, one has to make 8complete revolutions and 4 more planets and hence starting from a particular planet, the5th place gives the name of the following day. In this manner one finally arrives atanivra or Saturday (Saturnday) and starting from anivra one observes that the nextday is Ravivra and thus the cycle is completed.

It may be recalled that the Hor System is not essential for naming he seven days of aweek and primarily it was done by the Vedic astronomers dividing a day and night into 60ghais or 60 dadas. Hence, we may conclude without doubt that, it is the Vedicastronomers who named the seven days of a week using the original Indian system ofdividing a day and night into 60 ghais and in their subsequent attempt they have shownthat, one can arrive at the same results using 24 hors as well. In a verse (1/296) ofYjavalkya Samhit, the names of the planets are given exactly in the order of weekdays and hence there is every reason to believe that the names of the planets in thatverse were mentioned particularly as the lords of the seven days of a week. This makesProfessor S. B. Dixit to believe that the names of the seven days of a week were known inthe times of Yjavalkya Samhit.


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Fortnight, Month and YearUnits of time larger than day and week are fortnight and month. The gveda says, aruomsakvikah and crya Yska in his commentary over the verse says. aruo arocanomsakmsnm crddhamsnm ca kart bhavati or the moon is the creator ofmonths and fortnights. In Sanskrit the moon is called candramas and the word msa hasbeen derived from the parting syllable mas of candramas. So it appears that, during theVedic period people counted months and fortnights according to the phases of the moon.According to Professor S. B. Dixit, it was quite natural since one has to ascertain theduration of a solar month by tedious calculations, while lunar months arc visible to thenaked eye and he writes, Therefore it is clear that solar months came into beingafterwards.

Samvatsara The Year CyclesSamvatsara is a Sanskrit term for "year". In Hindu tradition, there are 60 Samvatsaras,each of which has a name. Once all 60 samvatsaras are over, the cycle starts over again.The sixty Samvatsaras are divided into 3 groups of 20 Samvatsaras each. The first 20from Prabhava to Vyaya are attributed to Brahma. The next 20 from Sarvajit to Parabhavato Vishnu & the last 20 to Shiva.

The 60 Samvatsaras are:

1. Prabhava 13. Pramthin 25. Khara 37. Shobhana 49. Rkshasa

2. Vibhava 14. Vikrama 26. Nandana 38. Krodhin 50. Anala

3. Shukla 15. Vrisha 27. Vijaya39.Vishvvasu

51. Pingala

4. Pramoda16.Chitrabhnu

28. Jaya40.Parbhava

52. Klayukti

5. Prajpati 17. Svabhnu 29. Manmatha 41. Plavanga 53. Siddhrthin

6. ngirasa 18. Trana 30. Durmukha 42. Klaka 54. Raudra

7. Shrmukha 19. Prthiva31.Hemalambin

43. Saumya 55. Durmati

8. Bhva 20. Vyaya 32. Vilambin44.Sdhrana

56. Dundubhi

9. Yuvan 21. Sarvajit 33. Vikrin45.Virodhikrit

57.Rudhirodgrin

10. Dhtri22.Sarvadhrin

34. Shrvari 46. Paritpin 58. Raktksha

11. shvara 23. Virodhin 35. Plava 47. Pramdin 59. Krodhana

12.Bahudhnya

24. Vikrita 36. Shubhakrit 48. nanda 60. Kshaya

Once the 60 names are finished, the next year starts with the first name again. This goeson in a cyclic manner.


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YugaThe units of time larger than a year are called yugas. The word yuga has been derivedfrom yoga and yoga from samyoga, or conjunction of heavenly bodies. So one finds theorigin of every unit of yuga to a specific conjunction of the heavenly bodies in the sky. InIndian astronomy, starting from a mere 5 year yuga to a vast Mahyuga of 4,320,000years are in vogue. Every 5 year, a conjunction of the sun and the moon occurs at theasterism Dhanith in the zodiacal sign Makara (Capricorn). The sun enters Makara, in themonth of Mgha. Hence the conjunction recurs every 5 year on the new-moon day in themonth of Mgha and that is the basis of counting a 5 year yuga. The Vednga Jyotisaprovides special names for these five years and they are Samvatsara, Parivatsara,Idvatsara. Anuvatsara and Idvatvatsara [VS: 26/45, 30/16; TB: 1/4/10;111/4/1-4).

The planet Vhaspati (Jupiter) takes 1 year to cover a zodiacal sign and hence takes 12years to complete its journey through all the 12 signs of the zodiac. This is the basis forcounting a 12 year yuga and since it originates from the motion of Vhaspati, it is oftencalled the Vrhaspatya-yuga. It would be relevant to mention here that the Kumbha-Melais held when Vhaspati enters the house of Kumbha (Aquarious) and hence the festivalrecurs every 12 years.

From the facts narrated above, one observes that a conjunction of the sun and the moonat Dhanith, while the Vhaspati (Jupiter) at makara (Capricorn), occurs every 60 yearsand that is the basis for counting a 60 year yuga. Hindu scriptures provide separatenames for all the sixty years of a 60 year yuga.[4] The rare occasion when the sun, themoon and Vhaspati (Jupiter) meet at dhanith repeats at an interval of 865 millionyears. Such a conjunction occurs five times in a Kalpa.

Mahayuga (Chaturyuga) The Yuga CyclesBeyond this level there are 4 epochs or yugas, namely, Krita Yuga, Treta Yuga,Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga. All these four yugas together is called a chatur yuga,which means "four epochs"or also termed maha yuga that means "great epochs".Together a chatur yuga constitutes 4,320,000 human years and the lengths of eachchatur yuga follow a ratio of (4:3:2:1:).

yuga human years ratio

krita-yuga 1,728,000 years 4

treta-yuga 1,296,000 years 3

dvapara-yuga 864,000 years 2

kali-yuga 432,000 years 1

1 chatur yuga (mahayuga) 4,320,000 human years

The ages see a gradual decline of dharma, wisdom, knowledge, intellectual capability, lifespan and emotional and physical strength.

Krita Yuga Treta Yuga Dvapara Kali Yuga


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01. Svaayambhuva son of the 08. Arka Saavarni (or Savarnika)

Yuga

othername

Golden Age orSatya Yuga (age ofTruth)

Silver Age Bronze Age Iron Age

humanyears

1,728,000 1,296,000 864,000 432,000

climatevirtue reignssupreme

three quartersvirtue and onequarter sin

one halfvirtue andone half sin

one quartervirtue andthree quarterssin

humanstature

21 cubits 14 cubits 3.5 cubits

humanlifespan

lakh of years anddeath occurs onlywhen willed.

lifespan is10,000 years.

lifespan is1,000 years.

lifespan is 100or 120 years.

Time of the Devas The Cosmic Years

1 day of the Devas 1 human year

1 month of the Devas 30 days of the Devas

1 year of the Devas (1 divine year) 12 months of the Devas

The lifespan of the Devas is 100 years of the Devas (= 36,000 human years).

Kalpa A Cosmic Day of BrahmIn this cyclic process of time, 1000 chaturyuga or mahayuga period is called a Kalpa, andperiod of time is equal to a daytime for the Brahma, the creator of the universe. Athousand and a thousand (i.e. two thousand) chaturyuga-s are said to be one day andnight of Brahm (the creator).

1 kalpa 1000 chatur yuga (mahayuga)

1 day and 1 night of Brahm 2 kalpas

At the beginning of creation begins the day of creation. At the end of that goes back all ofthe creation of the Absolute. This is a Kalpa a cosmic cycle of becoming and either ofcreation and destruction.

Manvantara

A cosmic days includes 14 Period or Manvantaras to 306 720 000 solar years. The nextday, a cosmic unity is a Manvantara, there are fourteen pieces. A Manu mastered such aperiod. We live in the 7th Manvantara. Manvantara the first 6 have gone, 7 more willcome. In particular, their names are:


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self-born (here began the creation)02. Svaarochisha son of the SelfShining03. Uttama Son of the Most High04. Taamasa Son of Darkness05. Raivata son of wealth06. Chaakshusha son of the vision(this was the Quirlung instead of themilk ocean)07. Vaivasvata Vaivasvata is the sonof the Sun God.

at 18 February in the year 3102 BC in the proleptic Julian calendar. Since the beginningof the Kalpa until the year 2005 AD passed:

6 complete Manvantaras: 6 x 7107-Manvantara twilight before a Manvantara each: 7 x 427 complete Mahayugas of the current 7th Manvantara: 27 x 103 Elapsed Yugas the current 28th Mahayuga: (4 + 3 + 2) x l5107 solar years in the current Kali Yuga

Kaliyuga calendarThe Kaliyuga calendar is apparently much older than and quite out of line with theother surviving old calendars. It also has a somewhat special standing because of itslinkage with the religious account of the history of the world, described with mathematical if mind-boggling precision. (It is the last and the shortest of the four yugas, meantto last for 432,000 years, and has been preceded respectively by three other yugas,which were in length going backwards two, three and four times as long as theKaliyuga, making up a total of 4,320,000 years altogether.)

The epoch (starting point or first day of the zeroth year) of the current era of Hinducalendar (both solar and lunisolar) is February 18 3102 BC/BCE in the proleptic Juliancalendar or January 23 3102 BC/BCE in the proleptic Gregorian calendar. Both the solarand lunisolar calendars started on this date. After that, each year is labeled by thenumber of years elapsed since the epoch.

This is a unique feature of the Hindu calendar. All other systems use the current ordinalnumber of the year as the year label. But just as a person's true age is measured by thenumber of years that have elapsed starting from the date of the person's birth, the Hinducalendar measures the number of years elapsed. As of May 18, 2005, 5106 years hadelapsed in the Hindu calendar, so this is the 5107th Hindu calendar year. Note that thelunisolar calendar year will usually start earlier than the solar calendar year.

OutlinePrior to the creation of the universe, Lord Vishnu lies asleep on the ocean of all causes. Herests upon a serpent bed with thousands of cobra-like hoods. While asleep, a lotussprouts from His navel. Upon this lotus is born Brahma the creator of the universe. LordBrahma lives for a hundred years and then dies, while Lord Vishnu remains. One year ofBrahma consists of three hundred and sixty days. At the beginning of each day Brahmacreates the living beings that reside in the universe and at the end of each day the livingbeings are absorbed into Brahma while he sleeps on the lotus. On day of Brahma isknown as a KALPA. Within each KALPA there are fourteen MANUS and within each MANUare seventy one CHATUR-YUGAS. Each CHATUR-YUGA is divided into four parts calledYUGAPADAS.

From the first chapter of Surya-Siddhanta, the most revered authoritative source of Hinduastronomy, we have the following passage:


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11. That which begins with respirations (prana) is called real.Six respirations make avinadi, sixty of these a nadi:

12. And sixty nadis make a sidereal day and night. Of thirty of these sidereal days iscomposed a month; a civil (savana) month consists of as many sunrises;

13. A lunar month, of as many lunar days (tithi); a solar (saura) month is determined bythe entrance of the Sun into a sign of the zodiac; twelve months make a year. This iscalled a day of the gods.

14. The day and night of the devas are mutually opposed to one another. Six times sixtyof them are a year of the devas.

15 & 16. Twelve thousand of these divine years are denominated a chatur-yuga; often-thousand times four hundred and thirty two solar years is composed thatchatur-yuga, with its dawn and twilight. The difference of the krita-yuga and the otheryugas, as measured by the difference in the number of the feet of virtue in each is asfollows:

17. The tenth part of a chatur-yuga, multiplied successively by four, three, two, and one,gives the length of the krita and the other yugas: the sixth part of each belongs to itsdawn and twilight.

18. One and seventy chatur-yugas make a manu; at its end is a twilight which has thenumber of years of a krita-yuga, and which is a deluge.

19. In a kalpa are reckoned fourteen manus with their respective twilights; at thecommencement of the kalpa is a fifteenth dawn, having the length of a krita-yuga.

20. The kalpa, thus composed of a thousand chatur-yugas, and which brings about thedestruction of all that exists, is a day of Brahma; his night is of the same length.

21. His extreme age is a hundred, according to this valuation of a day and a night. Thehalf of his life is past; of the remainder, this is the firsts kalpa.

22. And of this kalpa, six manus are past, with their respective twilights; and of the Manuson of Vivasvat, twenty seven chatur-yugas are past;

23. Of the present, the twenty eighth chatur-yuga, this krita yuga is past..

PralayaALL THE BEINGS OF THIS UNIVERSE INCLUDING CHATURMUKHA

BRAHMA AND OTHER GODS ARE RULED BY TIME. THEY ARE

CREATED, LIVE AND ARE DESTROYED BY ONE SUPREME AND

POWERFUL BEING , WHO HAS NO BIRTH OR DEATH.


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manvantara1. Namaste2. System of Knowledge3.

This destruction is of four types:

(1) Nitya Pralaya (2) Naimittika Pralaya (3) Maha Pralaya and (4) Aatyantika Pralaya.

Nitya Pralaya is the sleep or by an extension thereof, Death.

Naimittika Pralaya is the end of a single day of Brahma, when the three worlds (Bhuh:,Bhuvaha: and Suvaha:) disintegrate.

Maha Pralaya is the great deluge at the end of the age of one Brahma ,which consists of100 Brahmic Years (365 Times 2,000 ChaturYugas).

Aatyantika Pralaya is "the final deliverance or the attainment of Salvation by a Jivan andafter that the Jivan is never again in the clutches of Karma nor bound by the tight ropesof Samsara.It is therefore a variable time span conditioned by the practise of the differentkind of Yogas or Prapatti.

After these definitions of Units of Kaala and the alloted life spans of the Humans andGods, we come to the concept of Kaala in the Nitya Vibuthi or Sri Vaikuntam. Since, Kaalais omnipresent, it has to be in Sri Vaikuntam also. However, it does not have the samepower as in Leela Vibuthi or the Physical Universe, which serves as the play ground forSriman Narayana. Kaala in Sri Vaikuntam is powerless and hence does not bring aboutgrowth, decay or destruction of any thing. Hence all there have eternal existence. Kaala ishelpful there only "to describe one action as taking place before or after another. Forinstance in the service that the Muktas do to Sriman Narayana , they give a bath (Snana)at a point of time previous to that in which they offer food(Bhojana). It is all day there forever and there is no division into day and night. Kaala is under the control of SrimanNarayana and he manipulates it as He likes it. It is used as an Instrument by Him inbringing about the modification of the various objects in Lila Vibhuti."

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