Hindu units of time

Hindu texts describe units of Kala measurements, from microseconds to trillions of years.[1] According to these texts, time is cyclic, which repeats itself forever.[2]

"Srishti" redirects here. For the 1976 Indian Malayalam film, see Srishti (film).

Time units
Hindu measurements in logarithmic scale based on seconds

Various fragments of time are used in Hindu Scriptures like Vedas, Bhagavata Purana, Vishnu Puran, Mahabharata, Suryasidhanta etc. A summary of the Hindu metrics of time (kāla vyavahāra) follows.

Sidereal metrics
UnitDefinitionRelation to SI units
Trutiत्रुटि Base unit≈ 0.30 µs
Renuरेणु 60 Truti≈ 18 µs
Lavaलव 60 Renu≈ 1080 µs
Līkṣakaलीक्षक 60 Lava≈ 64.8 ms
Liptaलिप्ता 64.8 Leekshaka≈ 4.2 s
Vipalaविपल
Palaपल 60 Lipta≈ 30 s
Vighaṭiविघटि
Vinādīविनाडी
Ghaṭiघटि 31 Vighaṭi≈ 1.86 ks
Nādīनाडी
Dandaदण्ड
Muhūrtaमुहूर्त 2 Ghaṭi≈ 3.72 ks
Nakṣhatra Ahorātram
(sidereal day)		नक्षत्र अहोरात्रम्62 Ghaṭī≈ 86.4 ks
32 Muhūrta≈ 86.4 ks

According to Sūrya Siddhānta[3]
UnitDefinitionRelation to SI units
Truti Base unit≈ 29.6 µs
Tatpara 100 Truti≈ 2.96 ms
Nimesha 30 Tatpara≈ 88.9 ms
Kāṣṭhā 18 Nimesha≈ 1.6 s
Kalā 30 Kāṣṭhā≈ 48 s
Ghatika 30 Kalā≈ 1.44 ks
Muhūrta 2 Ghatika≈ 2.88 ks
Ahorātram
(sidereal day)		 30 Muhūrta≈ 86.4 ks

Small units of time used in the Vedas
UnitDefinitionRelation to SI units
ParamāṇuBase unit≈ 25 µs
Aṇu2 Paramāṇu≈ 50 µs
Trasareṇu3 Aṇu≈ 151 µs
Truṭi3 Trasareṇu≈ 454 µs
Vedha100 Truṭi≈ 45 ms
Lava3 Vedha≈ 0.14 s
Nimeṣa3 Lava≈ 0.4 s
Kṣaṇa3 Nimesha≈ 1.22 s
Kāṣṭhā5 Kṣaṇa≈ 6 s
Laghu15 Kāṣṭhā≈ 92 s
Danda15 Laghu≈ 1.38 ks
Muhūrta2 Danda≈ 2.76 ks
Ahorātram31 Muhūrta≈ 86.4 ks
Masa (month)30 Ahorātram≈ 2592 ks
Ritu (season)2 Masa≈ 5184 ks
Ayana3 Ritu≈ 15552 ks
Samvatsara (year) 2 Ayana≈ 31104 ks[4]
Ahorātram of Deva

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.[5][6]
  • A Paksa (also Pakṣa) or lunar fortnight consists of 15 tithes.[5]
  • A Māsa or lunar month (30 days) is divided into 2 Pakṣas: the one between new moon and full moon (waxing) is called gaura or (bright) or Śukla Pakṣa; the one between full moon and new moon (waning) Kṛiṣhṇa (dark) paksha.[5]
  • A Ṛitu (or season) is 2 Māsa.[5]
  • An Ayana is 3 Ṛitus.[5]
  • A year is two Ayanas.[5]

Tropical metrics
  • A Yāma = ​1⁄4 of a day (light) or night = ​7 1⁄2 Ghatis (घटि) = ​3 3⁄4 Muhurtas = 3 Horas (होरा)tely 24 hours.[7]
  • Eight Yāmas make a full day (day + night)[7]
  • An Ahorātra is a tropical day (Note: A day is considered to begin and end at sunrise, not midnight.)[7]
NameDefinitionEquivalence
Yamaयाम​1⁄4 of a day (light) or night≈ 3 hours
Sāvana Ahorātramसावन अहोरात्रम्8 Yamas1 Solar day

Reckoning of time among other entities

Among the Pitṛs (forefathers)
  • 1 day of pitras = 1 solar masa (month) [7]
  • 30 days of pitras = 1 month of pitras[7]
  • 12 months of pitras = 1 year of pitras[7]

The Lifespan of the pitras is 100 years of pitras (3,000 Solar years).[7]

Among the Devas

The life span of any Hindu deva spans nearly (or more than) 4.5 million years. Statistically, we can also look it as:

  • 12000 Deva Years = Life Span of Devas = 1 Mahā-Yuga.[8]

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
  • 4000 + 400 + 400 = 4800 divine years (= 1728000 human years) = 1 Satya Yuga[8]
  • 3000 + 300 + 300 = 3600 divine years (= 1296000 human years) = 1 Treta Yuga[8]
  • 2000 + 200 + 200 = 2400 divine years (= 864000 human years) = 1 Dvapara Yuga[8]
  • 1000 + 100 + 100 = 1200 divine years (= 432000 human years) = 1 Kali Yuga[8]
  • 12000 divine year = 4 Yugas (= 4320000 human years) = 1 Mahā-Yuga (also is equaled to 12000 Daiva (divine) Yuga)[8]
  • [2 × 12000 = 24000 divine years = 12000 revolutions of sun around its dual][8]

For Brahma
  • 1000 Mahā-Yugas = 1 Kalpa = 1 day 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 (155.52 trillion human years)
  • 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 10000 parts called charaṇas.[9]

Four Yugas

The four yugas which come one after the other are as follows (along with their durations):

The Four Yugas[10]
4 charaṇas (1728000 solar years)Satya Yuga
3 charaṇas (1296000 solar years)Treta Yuga
2 charaṇas (864000 solar years)Dvapara Yuga
1 charaṇas (432000 solar years)Kali Yuga
KalkiBuddhaKrishnaRamaParashuramaVamanaNarasimhaVarahaKurmaMatsya

The cycle repeats itself, so altogether there are 1000 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 Śhloka 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-Yugas. 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.[11]
  • A Manvantara consists of 71 Mahā-Yuga (306720000 solar years). Each Manvantara is ruled by a Manu.[9]
  • After each Manvantara follows one Saṃdhi Kāla of the same duration as a Kṛta Yuga (1728000 = 4 Charaṇas). (It is said that during a Saṃdhi Kāla, the entire earth is submerged in water.)[9]
  • A Kalpa consists of a period of 4.32 billion solar years followed by 14 Manvataras and Saṃdhi Kalas.[9]
  • A day of Brahma equals
(14 × 71 Mahā-Yuga) + (15 × 4 Charaṇas)
= 994 Mahā-Yuga + (15 × 4800)
= 994 Mahā-Yuga + (72000 years)[deva years] / 6 = 12000 [deva years] viz. one maha yuga.
= 994 Mahā-Yuga + 6 Mahā-Yuga
= 1000 Mahā-Yuga.[9]

Significance of the "Four-Yuga" system

The "Four-Yuga" structure, more popular as "Chaturyuga" system, actually attempts to describe the history of human evolution. In modern times, the prevailing theory of "Survival of the Fittest" tells us that the human beings are a result of gradual evolution process starting from single-cell living beings. But the "Chaturyuga" system mentions about the declining journey of human beings across the ages. In "Satya Yuga", the human beings were at its peak. Then it gradually came down throughout Treta and Dwapara yuga. In Kali Yuga, it is supposed to hit the lowest possible stature. If we go by the ancient scriptures, they specify that the start and end of each of the "Yuga" was marked by astronomical alignments. At the beginning of Treta Yuga, 5 planets resided in "Aries" constellation.At the end of last "Dwapara" yuga, the "Saptarshi" constellation (Ursa major), resided in "Magha" constellation. At the end of ongoing Kali-Yuga, Sun, Moon and Jupiter is said to reside in "Pushya" sector simultaneously.[Source]

Current date

Brahma lives for 100 of his 360-day years, each year has 12 30-day months, and each day has an equal day- and night-kalpa. Each day-kalpa has 14 manvantaras with 15 sandhyas (partial devastation junctures) separating them. Each manvantara has 71 maha-yugas (chatur-yugas). Each maha-yuga has four yugas—satya, treta, dvapara and kali—each with a length ratio of 4:3:2:1.[12]

Currently, 50 years of Brahma have elapsed. The last Kalpa at the end of the 50th year is called Padma Kalpa. We are currently in the first "day" of the 51st year.[13] This Brahma's day, Kalpa is named as Shveta-Varaha Kalpa. Within this Day, 6 Manvantaras have already elapsed,[14] and this is the 7th Manvantara, named as – Vaivasvatha Manvantara (or Sraddhadeva Manvantara). Within the Vaivasvatha Manvantara, 27 Mahayugas[14] (4 Yugas together is a Mahayuga), and the Krita,[15] Treta and Dwapara Yugas of the 28th Mahayuga have elapsed. This Kaliyuga is in the 28th Mahayuga. This Kaliyuga began in the year 3102 BCE in the proleptic Julian calendar.[16] Since 50 years of Brahma have already elapsed, this is the second Parardha, also called as Dvithiya Parardha.[12]

In Brahma's calendar (mahā-kalpa), we are in his 51st year of 100 (2nd half or parārdha) — 1st month of 12 — 1st kalpa (Shveta-Varaha) of 30 — 7th manvantara (Vaivasvatha) of 14 — 28th mahā-yuga of 71 — 4th yuga (Kali) of 4.[17][12]

Calculating the elapsed time since current Brahma's creation

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 × 106 = 1852416000 years elapsed in first 6 Manvataras, and Sandhi Kalas in the current Kalpa

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

1.728 × 106 + 1.296 × 106 + 864000 = 3888000 years elapsed in current Mahayuga

3102 + 2019 = 5121 years elapsed in current Kaliyuga.

So the total time elapsed since current Brahma is

155520000000000 + 1852416000 + 116640000 + 3888000 + 5119 = 155521972949120 years

(one hundred fifty-five trillion, five hundred twenty-one billion, nine hundred seventy-two million, nine hundred forty-nine thousand, one hundred twenty years) as of 2020 AD

Total age of Brahma is 100 (Brahma years), which is equal to 311040000000000 human years

The current Kali Yuga began at midnight 17 February / 18 February in 3102 BCE in the proleptic Julian calendar.[18] As per the information above about Yuga periods, only 5120 years are passed out of 432000 years of current Kali Yuga, and hence another 426880 years are left to complete this 28th Kali Yuga of Vaivaswatha Manvantara.[note 1]

Another way to calculate the universe's (Brahma's) lifespan is by converting mahayugas to kalpas

1000 mahayugas is equal to one day (kalpa) of Lord Brahma. His night (kalpa) is of equal duration. So, the entire day-night (24 hours) of Brahma lasts for

4320000 × 1000 × 2 = 8640000000 years

Lord Brahma lives for 100 of his 360-day years, which lasts for

8640000000 × 360 × 100 = 311040000000000 years

See also

Notes
  1. According to Sri Yukteswar Giri, guru of Paramahansa Yogananda, the ascending phase of the Kali Yuga began in September 499 CE. Since September 1699, we have been in the ascending phase of the Dwapara Yuga. According to Sri Yukteswar, nobody wanted to announce the bad news of the beginning of the descending Kali Yuga, so they kept adding years to the Dvapara date (at that time 2400 Dvapara) only retitling the epoch to Kali.[19]

References
  1. S. V. Gupta (3 November 2009). Units of Measurement: Past, Present and Future. International System of Units. Springer. p. 3. ISBN 9783642007385.
  2. Dick Teresi. Lost Discoveries: The Ancient Roots of Modern Science—from the Babylonians to the Maya. SimonandSchuster. p. 174.
  3. "Vedic Time System - वेद Veda". veda.wikidot.com. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
  4. S. V. Gupta (3 November 2009). Units of Measurement: Past, Present and Future. International System of Units. Springer. p. 5. ISBN 9783642007385.
  5. S. V. Gupta (3 November 2009). Units of Measurement: Past, Present and Future. International System of Units. Springer. p. 5, 6. ISBN 9783642007385.
  6. Kumar, Ashwini (2005). Vaastu: The Art And Science Of Living. Sterling Publishers Pvt. Ltd. p. 50. ISBN 81-207-2569-7.
  7. S.V. Gupta (3 November 2009). Units of Measurement: Past, Present and Future. International System of Units. Springer. p. 6. ISBN 9783642007385.
  8. Hans Kng (31 October 2006). Tracing The Way: Spiritual Dimensions of the World Religions. A&C Black. p. 50. ISBN 9780826494238.
  9. Bryan E. Penprase (5 May 2017). The Power of Stars. Springer. p. 182. ISBN 9783319525976.
  10. Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 3.11.19.
  11. Swami Mukundananda. Bhagavad Gita The Song of God.
  12. Krishnamurthy, Prof. V. (18 March 2019). MEET THE ANCIENT SCRIPTURES OF HINDUISM: Ch 20. Google Books. ISBN 9781684669387.
  13. Burgess, Chapter 1, Verse 21.
  14. Burgess, Chapter 1, Verse 22.
  15. Burgess, Chapter 1, Verse 23.
  16. Burgess, p. 17.
  17. Burgess, Chapter 1, Verse 21-23.
  18. Burgess, Ebenezer. Translation of the Sûrya-Siddhânta: A text-book of Hindu astronomy, with notes and an appendix. Originally published: Journal of the American Oriental Society 6 (1860) 141–498, p. 17.
  19. Yukteswar 1949.
  • Victor J. Katz. A History of Mathematics: An Introduction, 1998.
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