Muhūrta
Muhūrta, “a moment, a measure of time”
Grammar: masculine and neuter noun: a moment, a fixed measure of time.
Meaning: a measure of time, one of the limbs of Kāla (time); and the auspicious time chosen for a work.
In the scriptures: in the rite for the protection of the king, the limbs of Kāla are asked to protect him: “May the mahākalpa, kalpa, manvantara, yuga, saṃvatsara, varsha, ayana, ṛtu, māsa, paksha, rātri, divasa, sandhyā, tithi and muhūrta, the different limbs of Kāla, protect you” (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 219). When the reigning king dies, the heir must take up the burden of the kingdom at once, without any thought of a muhūrta (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 218).
In the account of the Sūrya vaṃśa, King Raivata went with his daughter to Brahmā and listened to the music there. Only one muhūrta passed for Brahmā, but in that time many yugas passed in the world of mortals. When Raivata came back, Dvāravatī stood in place of Kuśasthalī, guarded by the Yādavas led by Vāsudeva, and he gave Revatī to Balarāma (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 273).
Agnideva, telling of the jīva in the womb, says that in that darkness, tormented by its karmas, a single muhūrta seems to it like a hundred years (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 369). Teaching dhyāna, he says that the gati (the goal after death) reached by one who meditates on Hari with śraddhā for a muhūrta, or even half a muhūrta, cannot be reached even by all the great yajñas (Agni Purāṇa, Chapter 374).
Related terms: Kāla · Tithi · Ghaṭikā · Yuga · Dhyāna
Sources
- Agni Purāṇa, Chapters 218–219, 273, 369, 374