UNITS OF TIME, BREATH AND COSMOLOGY

UNITS OF TIME, BREATH AND COSMOLOGY

(Compiled by N.R. Srinivasan)

 

Manu, the law giver seems to have spent a lot of time in South India. The Chola kings had great respect for his laws and faithfully implemented them in administering justice. One king was popularly called as Manuneethikanda Cholan (Chola who follows Laws of Manu). Manu was the first to give the concept of time as Tamil literature has references to time guide-lines in several literatures. According to him:

 

    18 winks of eyes=1 Kashtam

    30 Kashtams=1 Kaalam

    30 Kaalam=1 Vinaadi

    60 Vinaadi=1Nazhigai=1 Ghati=24 minutes(present)

    2 Nazhigais=2 Ghatis=1 Muhoorta

    60 Nazhigais=1 day=10 Jaamams=30 Muhoortas

    I Jaamam=3 Muhoortas=6 Ghatis=6Nazhigais

    1 Jaamam=6x24=144 minutes or 2hrs 24 minutes (present)

    1 day=3600 Vinadis

Yoga system calculates number of breaths an individual makes in a day as per the following:

    60 Truth=1 Praana (1 inhale+1 exhale)

    6 Praanas=1 Vinaadi

    60 Vinaadi=1 Ghati

    60Ghatis=1day

Therefore man breaths, 60x60x6=21600 times in a day. This is given in Patanjalis Yogasaastra.

 

The sages (Rishis) of the hoary past of Sanatana Dharma started the concept of time with the number 60:

    60 vinadi=1 Naadika

    60 Nadikas=1 day

1 Vinadi is equal to 24 seconds in Western concept.

 

The Western time measurement includes the same number 60 as follows:

    60 seconds=1 minute

    60 minutes= 1 hour

    24 hours=1 day

    1 Day=3600 minutes

   
 

    

In Orthodox Vedic concept 1 Nazhigai or Ghati equals =24 minutes and day equals 60 Nazhgais or 60 Ghatis. In present concept an hour is 60 minutes and a day is 24 hours.

 

Westerners and others got their concept from Hindu astronomers and astrology but took a little diversion.

 

The Sun temple at Konark (kon=angle; and ark= Sun) and Nataraja Temple at Chidambaram in the South are symbolic of Time and Space aspect of the Supreme spirit or in essence Cosmology.

The twelve pairs of wheels on which the temple of Konrak stands in the form of a chariot represents twelve months of the year or 24 fortnights (12 Shukla Paksha and 12 Krishna Pakshas), The bright half and the dark half, in a year. The seven horses represent 7 days of the week. The eight spokes on the wheel represent 8 Praharans or Muhoortas as in practice today in Panchangas (Hindu almanacs). The wheels also work as sundials to know the exact time of the day.

 

The Kaalas Raahukaalam, Gulika Kaalam, Yama Gandam, Artha praharan and Kaalan are observed during what is known as Muhoorta (1/8 Part duration of a given day or night). For each day Panchanga provides the moments of sun rise/sunset and moon rise/moon set applicable to particular place including for countries where considerable Hindu population exists and where special Pnachangas are prepared applicable to the place. Duration of the daytime between sun rise and sun set divided by 8 gives the duration of each muhoorta for the day. Similarly the night time between moon rise and moon set divided by eight gives the duration of the Muhoorta for the particular night.

 

The Cosmic concept of Kaalachakra in influencing time measurement should not be forgotten. Two straight lines of same length intersecting horizontally and vertically at their mid points produce four right angles which add up to 360 degrees. Their ends when joined in the form of an arc produce the circle circumscribing their end points. The circle has therefore 360 degrees. When this is divided internally into twelve equal segments each segment has an angular movement of 30 degrees. These twelve segments are the 12 Zodiac signs in astrology. Further, each degree can be divided into 60 minutes and each minute to 60 seconds. One minute of the arc in Sanskrit is also known as "Asu". Modern clocks are designed on this model to give a circular moment of the hands through 360 degrees in 12 hours. In Savana Maanam Hindu Calendar one year has 360 days. One month has 30 days and one Paksha 15 days.

 

In one day, a human being breaths 21600 times when normal, according to Yogasaastra of Patanjali. If we divide 21600 against 3600 Vinadis of the day we arrive at number 6. That means we do 6 breathings in 24 seconds; each breath consists of one inhalation (Uchvaasa) and one exhalation (nisvaasa). For each breath it takes 4 seconds when we function normally. This is in fact so if you closely watch and is also reasonable estimate for a breath. This is equivalent to 4 seconds of sidereal time according to Western system.

 

Upanishads say human energy body is built up of 72000 Naadis or energy flows (These are not physical nerves as is often translated). There are 3600 Vinadis in a day. When we multiply 3600 with a number 20 we arrive at 72000 which are the energy flows (astral paths) mentioned in Prasnopanishad.

 

Chidambaram in South India is famous for Nataraja in his cosmic dance and also for Chidambara Rahasyam (Secret of Chidambaram). Here Siva is worshipped in the form of Nataraja, in the formless form of crystal Linga and as Space (Aakaasa) represented by a mysterious mantra as the formless Yantra in a space which is kept curtained all the time but occasionally opened for worship. As there is nothing visible here the place of worship surrounds with a mystery which is called Chidambara Rahasyam. Here the dance hall is called Chit Sabha meaning Hall of Consciousness. This is a wooden structure with a corbelled shaped roof with golden tiles from the time of its consecration. It has 21600 tiles (symbolic of 21600 breaths in a day and 72000 nails (symbolic of 72000 energy paths of Upanishads).

 

The temple of Chidambaram is the permanent residence of Dancing Siva. Here he dances with the Universe, atoms, stars and galaxies. Lord Nataraja's worship is conducted by a priest democratically elected from a group of family priests appointed by the temple for generations. For this a meeting is held every 20 days to democratically elect a priest.

 

If we multiply 21600 breaths 20 times we get a figure of 432000 which is the number for the total number of years in Kaliyuga. If we multiply 3600 number of Vinadis in a day 20 times we get 72000 which are the number of energy paths in the human being mentioned in Upanishads. The numbers 20, 60, 3600, 21600, 72000 and 432000 have all a common factor 20, the divine mystery number of Chidambaram. Probably, 20 represent 5 panchbhootas+5 Jnaanedriyas+5 Karmendriyas+5 Pancha Praanas ruled by Aatman. Some books on Hinduism say that in the Panchaaksharee Mantra, Namah Sivaaya,
Na stands for earth, Ma stands for water, Si stands for fire, Va stands for air and Ya for space in which forms Lord Siva is worshipped in five sacred temples of South India.

 

Ancient sages divided 360 degrees of the ecliptic by 12 to arrive at 30 degrees of the Zodiac. It takes 72 solar years (which is roughly the average human life) for the solstice to shift one degree proportionate to the fixed stars and it will take 72x30=2160 solar years for the shift to proceed through one zodiac. Total cycle will be 2160x 12=25920 years. This is called a Great Year. Surya Siddhanta gives precession (slow rotation of the rotation axis of spinning body) as 54 seconds of arc of a circle, a year. Modern calculations set this at 50 seconds. To shift one degree it would take 71.6 solar years. This adds up to a complete cycle of 25776 years. Of course constant changes are going on in the Cosmos too. It all shows how far advanced were our sages! How could they do it with their naked eyes and mental thinking remains a mystery!

 

HINDU COMPLEX AND CONFUSING UNITS OF TIME

 

Hinduism is known for its complex and confusing  units of time. Because of the extensive span of Hinduism and Hindu mythology, time can become increasingly complex and enigmatic. Just as there are multiple systems of measuring time today, there are multiple Hindu systems as well. Here is the the most comprehensive one. Let us start with the smallest unit of time and move forward: This would also help  forthcoming lecture on  Historic Global Rama and Invincible Ayodhya. Keep it handy to understand -Puranic times

The Smallest Units of Time

The smallest unit of time in Hindu mythology is known as Alpakala. If two leaves are placed on top of each other and they are pierced by a needle, the time required for the needle to pass from the first leaf to the second leaf is known as Alpakala. The next units of time are pretty simple:

1. Truti: Thirty Alpakalas make up one Truti
2. Kala: Thirty Trutis make up one Kala
3. Kastha: Thirty Kalas make up one Kastha, which is also known as a Nimisha, Noti, or Matra
4. Ganita: Four Kasthas make up one Ganita
5. Netuvirppu: Ten Ganitas make up one Netuvirppu
6. Vinazhika: Six Netuvirppus make up one Vinazhika
7. Ghatika: Sixty Vinazhikas make up one Ghatika

Now, this is where it became confusing for me, especially with the obscure wording of the Bhagavata Purana. Sixty Ghatikas comprise one Ahoratra, which is one 24-hour day for regular human beings. Fifteen days (ahoratras) constitute one Paksha and two Pakshas constitute a Chandra masa, which is a 30-day lunar month. Twelve Chandra masas (lunar months) make up one year for human beings.

Human Years vs. Deva Years

We are now going to move away from the human scale and transitioning to the godly scale. One year for human beings (twelve Chandra-masas) is equivalent to one ahoratra (one day and night) for the devas! 360 deva-ahoratras form one year for the devas. A deva-year is known as a Deva-Vatsara, also known as a Divya-Vatsara.

The Yuga Scheme

This post might not have been very interesting so far. But this is when it gets really fascinating. 12,000 Deva-Vatsaras make up one Chaturyuga, also known as a Divya-yuga or Mahayuga. A Chaturyuga consists of 4 Yugas: Kritayuga (Satyayuga), Tretayuga, Dwaparayuga, and Kaliyuga. Kritayuga is 4,800 Deva-Vatsaras, Tretayuga spans 3,600 Deva-Vatsaras, Dwaparayuga is 2,400 Deva-Vatsaras long, and Kaliyuga is 1,200 Deva-Vatsaras long.

Thus, if the calculations are performed, Kritayuga lasts approximately for 1,728,000 human years. Tretayuga lasts for 1,296,000 human years. Dwaparayuga lasts for 864,000 human years. And Kaliyuga lasts for 432,000 human years. Those are enormous numbers! Thus, a Chaturyuga lasts for 4,320,000 human years.

Kritayuga is known as the Golden Age as it is the best Yuga. During Kritayuga, there is no crime and everybody is righteous. All men resemble religious saints. The weather is always pleasant during Kritayuga, there is no mining or agriculture because the Earth produces its own resources, and there is an absence of disease. Everybody is gigantic and big-built, but also virtuous and honest. Everybody lives on for thousands of years.

Treta Yuga is next Yuga. During Treta Yuga, humans become slightly less virtuous and righteous. Violent kings are born and cause bloody wars. The weather starts becoming extreme and humans start mining and farming.

The third Yuga is Dwapara Yuga. During this time period, humans, in general, become less strong and able. Diseases become common and humans start fighting each other for power. The average life span is reduced to a couple centuries.

Kali Yuga is the final age. “Kali” means “dark”, so it an age of darkness and ignorance. It is the opposite of Kritayuga. Humans become dishonest sinners and commit unbelievable sins. Knowledge is disregarded as useless and the scriptures fade into the past. The wealth and strength of humans are lesser than the previous Yugas. By the end of Kali Yuga, humans have ruined the environment and their average lifespan is merely 20 years.

Manvantaras and the Time Scale of Brahma

Now, there are 71 Chaturyugas in a Manvantara. Thus, a Manvantara lasts for 852,000 Deva-Vatsaras, or 306,720,000 human years. Every Manvantara has a new Indra, a new group of gods, and a new Manu. This is when we must understand that the terms “Indra” and “Manu” are just positions, not names of specific people. Every Manvantara, the Manu is the one who is the progenitor of the human race and is the first man on Earth. Each Manvantara also has a new group of Saptarishis (seven great sages).

There are 14 Manvantaras in a Kalpa, which is one day-time of the creator god, Brahma. Before the first Manvantara, after the last Manvantara, and between all the Manvantaras, there are periods called Sandhikalas. A Sandhikala is essentially a transitional period during which the Earth is submerged in the Garbodhaka ocean. There are 15 Sandhikalas and each Sandhikala has the same duration as a Kritayuga (4,800 Deva-Vatsaras, or 1,728,000 human years). If we add up all of the Sandhikalas and all of the Manvantaras, we get 4,320,000,000 human years, or 11,935,200 Deva-Vatsaras.

Thus, one day-time of Lord Brahma lasts for 4,320,000,000 human years (11,935,200 Deva-Vatsaras). Obviously, after every Kalpa (day-time of Lord Brahma), there is a night-time of Lord Brahma, which is known as a Brahma-Ratra. The Brahma-Ratra is the same length as a Kalpa. Thus, one full day of Lord Brahma consists of a Kalpa and a Brahma-Ratra and is 8,640,000,000 human years (23,870,400 Deva-Vatsaras). Just think about that for a second!

 

The Creation and Destruction Cycle

At the beginning of every Kalpa (day-time of Lord Brahma), the entire universe is created by Lord Brahma. He creates the aspects of nature, immovable objects, qualities of beings, rishis, devas, etc. Throughout the Kalpa, life exists in the universe. In every Manvantara of the Kalpa, a new Indra and group of gods, a new Manu, and new Saptarishis are born. At the end of the Kalpa, the lower ten realms of the universe are destroyed. Spiritual beings transcend to higher realms or to the spiritual Vaikuntha planets which are outside the material universe. Others who aren’t free from the bonds of materialism perish and are reborn in the next Kalpa. Then, during the Brahma-Ratra, the universe is dark and nothing exists. During the Brahma-Ratra, Lord Vishnu sleeps on Ananta-Sesha in the Garbodhaka Ocean. Soon enough, the Brahma-Ratra is over and the Kalpa cycle starts again.

Thirty days (Kalpa + Brahma-Ratra) of Brahma make on month and 12 months make one year. Thus one year of Brahma is 360 days of Brahma, or 3.1104 trillion human years (8,593,344,000 Deva-Vatsaras). A year of Brahma is known as a Brahmavarsha. Brahma lives for 100 years. Thus, the lifespan of Brahma, known as the Mahakalpa consists of one hundred Brahmavarshas. A Mahakalpa is 311.04 trillion years (859,334,400,000 Deva-Vatsaras)! At the beginning of the Mahakalpa, Brahma is born and at the end, Brahma passes away.

These numbers just make us realize how insignificant we are in the grand scheme of things. A mayfly’s lifespan of just 24-hours is minuscule compared to our lifespan. Similarly, our lifespan is insignificant when compared to the lifespan of the devas. But their lifespan is atomic when compared to the lifespan of Lord Brahma.

Where are we?

You are probably wondering: Where are we in this endless expanse of time?

Our Brahma is currently 51 years old. We are living during the first day (Kalpa) of his 51st year. The previous Kalpa was known as the Padma-Kalpa. The current day of Brahma (Kalpa) is known as the Shveta-Varaha Kalpa. Within this Kalpa, six Manvantaras have already passed and we are living during the seventh Manvantara, known as the Shraddhadeva Manvantara, also known as Vaivasvata Manvantara. The name of our Manu is Vaivasvata Manu, the son of Surya and Sanjana. The name of our Indra is Purandar. Our Saptarishis are Kashyapa, Atri, Vasistha, Vishwamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni and Bharadvaja.

Within this Manvantara, we are currently in the Kali Yuga of the 28th Chaturyuga. This Kali Yuga is said to have begun at midnight of 18th February, 3102 B.C.E. in the Julian calendar. Thus, 5,121 years of this Kali Yuga have passed and 426,879 years are left till the end of this Kali Yuga.

As stated above, there are 14 Manavantaras in the Kalpa. The Manavantaras of our Kalpa are:

1. Swayambhava Manvantara
2. Swarochisa Manvantara
3. Uttama Manvantara
4. Tamasa/Tapasa Manvantara
5. Raivata Manvantara
6. Chakshusa Manvantara
7. Vaivasvata/Shraddhadeva Manvantara (current)
8. Savarni Manvantara
9. Daksha Savarni Manvantara
10. Brahma Savarni Manvantara
11. Dharma Savarni Manvantara
12. Rudra Savarni Manvantara
13. Rauchya/Deva Savarni Manvantara
14. Indra Savarni Manvantara

You now know about all 14 Manvantaras of our current Kalpa. Below is a chronological timeline of notable events that have taken place in our Kalpa:

• Beginning of Swayambhava Manavantara: Brahma creates the Universe, Vishnu takes Matsya Avatar and kills the demon Hayagriva, Vishnu takes Varaha Avatar and rescues the Earth
• Swayambhava Manavantara: Story of Dhruva
• Tamas Manavantara: Lord Vishnu saves Gajendra
• End of Chakshusha Manvantara: Matsya Avatar saves King Satyavrata
• 4th Treta Yuga of Vaivasvata Manvantara: Narasimha kills Hiranyakashipu
• 7th Treta Yuga of Vaivasvata Manvantara: Vamana seizes the land of the asura king Bali
• 10th Treta Yuga of Vaivasvata Manvantara: Birth of Dattatreya
• 15th Treta Yuga of Vaivasvata Manvantara: Reign of King Mandhata
• 19th Treta Yuga of Vaivasvata Manvantara: Parshuram annihilates Kartavirya Arjuna and other Kshatiyas
• 24th Treta Yuga of Vaivasvata Manvantara: The Ramayana
• End of 28th Dwapara Yuga of Vaivasvata Manvantara: The Mahabharata
• End of 28th Kali Yuga of Vaivasvata Manvantara