Sunday, December 1, 2019

Hindu Concept of Time

The discussion of "time" in the Indian / Hindu system is fascinating. It all starts with the idea of काल (kaala). kaala is that which "moves" - moving one from one stage to another, from one state to another, from one era to another. Time "moves" people. And, even though it is divided into "bhuta", "bhavat", "bhavya", i.e. past, present and future, kaala is symbolized as one who "eats", that all that there is present and the past. Here are some units of kaala:
  • परमाणु (paramANu): infinitesimal particle, atom in the atom; passing of a sun-beam past an atom of matter
  • परमाणु = 1 अणु (aNu): an atomic particle 
  • 3 अणु = 1 त्रस्रेणु (trsrENu) - 6 paramANu
  • 3 त्रस्रेणु = त्रुटि (truTi): 18 paramANu: minute space of time; particle; this is the time taken by sun rays to pass through 3 त्रस्रेणुs
  •  100 त्रुटि = वेधः (vedhaH): 54 paramANU: fixing the position of the sun or of the stars
  • 3 वेधः = 1 लव (lava):  162 paramANu: 60th of a twinkling, half a second; space of 2 kAShTas (please note that different texts may have slight differences in interpretations; and these units are so small or miniscule that they are sometimes used interchangeably)
  • लव = 1 निमेष (nimesha): 486 paramANu: wink: twinkling; moment; merely an instant;
  • निमेष: = 1 क्षण  (kshaNa): 1458 paramANu: second, moment; this again is sometimes a subjective meaasure of time - [4/5 second or 24/35 second or 4 minutes or 48 minutes]) 
  • क्षण = 1 काष्ठा (kAshThA):  7290 paramANu
  • 15 काष्ठा = 1 लघु (laghu): 109,350 paramANu / 75 kshaNa: tiny, short, light, minute
  • 15 लघु = नाडिका (naaDikA): 1,125 kshaNa 
  • 6 नाडिका = 1 प्रहरः (praharaH): 6750 kshaNa; ~8th of a day or ~3 hours;
  • 8 प्रहरः = 1 दिनं (dinam), 1 रात्रि (raatri): 1 day, 1 night 
  • 15 दिनं+रात्रि = 1 पक्ष (paksha): fortnight or ~half a month; side 
  • 2 पक्ष = 1 मास (mAsa): ~1 month; 12th of a Indian year
  • 6 मास = 1 आयन (aayana): 6 months or 1/2 a year (uttarAyana, dakshiNayana)
  • 2 आयन = वर्षः (varshaH): ~ 1 year
  • 1 मानुष वर्षः (1 man year) = 1 देव दिनं-रात्रि (1 day+1 night of the demi-gods or devas)
    • 1 uttarAyanaM - deva dinam
    • 1 dakshinAyanam - deva rAtri  
  • 30 देव वर्षः - 1 दिव्य मास
  • 360 देव वर्षः = 1 दिव्य वर्षः
  • 1 सत्य युग =  1,728,000 human years
  • 1 त्रेता  युग = 1,296,000 human years 
  • 1 द्वापर युग = 864,000 human years
  • 1 कलि  युग = 432,0000 human years
  • 1 महायुग or दिव्य युग = 4,320,000 human years
  • 1 सर्ग = 1000 महायुग or दिव्य युग = 4,320,000,000 human years = 1 day of brahma
  • 1 प्रलय = 1000 महायुग or दिव्य युग = 4,320,000,000 human years = 1 night of brahma
  • 2000 दिव्य युग, i.e. 1 day and 1 night of brahma = 1 कल्प = 1 day + 1 night of brahma = 8,640,000,000 human years  
  • 360 कल्प =  1 ब्रह्म वर्षः (brahma varsha): 3,110,400,000,000 human years 
  • 100 ब्रह्म वर्षः = 1 महाकल्प or महाप्रलय 311,040,000,000,000 human years

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