Hindu units of time
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
The Complete Hindu metrics of time (Kāla Vyavahāra) can be summarized as below.
| Name | Definition | Equivalence | Remarks | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prāna | प्राण | ca. 4 s | normal interval of respiration in humans | |
| Vipala | विपल | |||
| Vighaṭi | विघटि | 6 Prāna | ca. 24 s | "Burgess, Chapter 1, Verse 11" |
| Vinādī | विनाडी | |||
| Pala | पल | |||
| Ghaṭi | घटि | 60 Vighaṭis | ca. 24 min | "Burgess, Chapter 1, Verse 11" |
| Nādī | नाडी | |||
| Muhūrta | मुहूर्त | 2 Ghaṭīkā | ca. 48 min | |
| Nakṣatra Ahorātram | नक्षत्र अहोरात्रम् | 30 Muhūrta | ca. 24 h | sidereal day |
| Sāvana Ahorātram | सावन अहोरात्रम् | ca. 1 d | considered to begin from and end at sunrise | |
An alternate system described in the Viṣṇu Purāṇa Time measurement section of the Viṣṇu Purāṇa Book I Chapter III is as follows:
| 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 | ||
| 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 | |
| day(light) | 4 praharas or 4 yamas | |
| night | ||
| day | 1 day(light) + 1 night |
Lunar metrics
- a tithi or lunar day is defined as the time it takes for the longitudinal angle between the moon and the Sun to increase by 12°. Tithis begin at varying times of day and vary in duration from approximately 19 to approximately 26 hours.
- a paksa (also Pakṣa) or lunar fortnight consists of 15 tithis
- a Māsa or lunar month (approximately 29.5 days) is divided into 2 Pakṣas: the one between new moon and full moon (waxing) is called gaura (bright) or Śukla Pakṣa; the one between full moon and new moon (waning) Kṛṣṇa (dark) paksha
- a Ṛtu (or season) is 2 Māsa
- an ayana is 3 Ṛtus
- a year is 2 Ayanas
Tropical metrics
- a Yāma (याम) is 7½ Ghaṭis (घटि)
- 8 Yāmas 1 half of the day (either day or night)
- an Ahorātra is a tropical day (Note: A day is considered to begin and end at sunrise, not midnight.)
Reckoning of time among other entities
Reckoning of time amongst the Pitṛs (ancestors)
- 1 human fortnight (14 days) = 1 day of the Pitṛs
- 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)
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 …
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 it's dual]
Reckoning of time for 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:
| 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 |
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
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).
The current date
Currently, 50 years of Brahma have elapsed and this is the first 'day' of the 51st year. This Brahma's day, Kalpa, is named as ShvetaVaraha Kalpa. Within this Day, six Manvantaras have already elapsed and this is the seventh Manavatara, named as – Vaivasvatha Manvantara (or Sraddhadeva Manavatara). Within the Vaivasvatha Manavantara, 27 Mahayugas (4 Yugas together is a Mahayuga), and the Krita, 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. 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) )
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. 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.
