96 - Description of the movement of time by Radha 

Narayana said- Uddhava was ready to proceed to Mathura but was feeling upset and had fallen on the lotus-like feet of Radha. He was filled with emotion and overwhelmed with the separation from Radha and was crying aloud. At that movement the cowherdesses Madhavi, with her mind filled with love spoke to him while weeping. 

Madhavi said- О Uddhava, in case you think it proper you wait for a while, I shall extend to you the deep knowledge which is occupying your mind. О virtuous one, you put a question to Radha who happens to be the mother of the three worlds. The same is inaccessible in the Vedas and the Puranas besides being secretive. Thus, speaking the foremost of the cowherdesses took her seat in the assembly. Thereafter Radhika with a peaceful mind spoke sweet words to Uddhava. 

Uddhava said- A person arrives in the universe alone and departs alone from the universe, A creature or a person has to face the reward of his deeds performed by him earlier.

A person takes his birth because of his deeds and disappears from the universe because of his deeds. He achieves the pleasure, pain, fear, grief and everything else because of his deeds. 

When the enjoyments are left out a person is born again in the universe and faces all the enjoyment. He arrives in the universe because of his deeds and goes back because of his deeds, therefore О chaste lady, whatever gems you have given to me cannot accompany me to the heaven. Therefore, they are of no used to me. О goddess you are like the beautiful boat to cross the ocean of the universe. Lord Krishna also makes other to cross over the ocean of universe. He himself the sailor. Therefore, you bestow me the gift by which I should be able to cross the ocean of the universe. After receiving the gratification, I shall go to Mathura to meet Krishna. 

О mother, you kindly let me know the movement of time for the gods, the human beings, ancestors and the Brahmaloka.

Lotus faced one you spell out a remedy for me by which I should be able to cross the movement of the time and achieve the abode of the lord.

Because you reside in the heart of the one whose lotus-like feet are adored by Brahma, Shiva, Sesha and gods from a distance and meditate upon him throughout the day and night.

On hearing the words of Uddhava, lotus face Radhika smiled, wiping out her tears with a cloth, she started speaking.

Radhika said- O Uddhava, you have put up this question at the instance of Madhavi. First of all, you tell me that the ladies are considered to be quite delicate, ones therefore what type of knowledge can I impart to you?

O son, the spotless movement of the time is known only to lord Krishna, besides Brahma, Shiva, Sesha and the Vedas.

O son, according to the Vedas, the noble people also are aware of the same to some extent. Now I am going to tell you something which I had heard from the mouth of lord Krishna in the Rasamandala of the Goloka, I have also witnessed the same in the Goloka, Vaikuntha and Brahmaloka, the same Kala-chakra (movement of time), is being spelt out by me, you listen to it.

O best of the friend, I am going to narrate to you the movement of time which influences the humans, ancestors, Brahmaloka, nether worlds, the globe and the people who live beyond them. You listen to me. The great lord who is meditated upon by the intellectuals who happen to be the lord of the universe, who happens to be the killer of the time, the teacher of the universe, devoid of gums unattached and who happens to be the soul of all, without whom the bodies are destroyed, one can cross the movement of the time only be serving the great lord.

Except the people with great merit and the spotless devotees of lord Krishna, the life of all the creatures, is shortened by Surya.

As for example you look at the four mind-born sons of Brahma named Sanaka and others. Their age remains stable, they always remains of five years’ old, without yajnopavita like the children and in the same form they happen to be the teachers of eleven Rudras, twelve Adityas and the great intellectuals. They are spotless from inside and their faces always wear the serene smile, they remain without garments and are sanctified with the reciting of the name of Krishna, they are devoted to Vishnu and purify even the holy places.

They are free from the worries of, Vedas, post-Vedic literature and scriptures. Their faces are always shining and they recite the name of Hari throughout the day and night.

They are unconcerned with the adoration of Brahman. They are purified at heart. They have over-come, the death. They are immensely virtuous and over-powered Surya, who is the cause of death. They are known by the names of Sanaka, Sanandana and Sanatkumara, those who recite their names regularly, all their sins are removed and they achieve the merit of having the bath at the holy places. They ultimately achieved the devotion of lord Hari and slave hood of the lord.

You look at Markandeya the son of sage Mrukandu who has achieved the Brahman hood by means of his good deeds and being illustrious and having divine lustre, he at the age of ten years, by adoring the lord achieved the life of seven kalpas. Then look at Vodhu, Panchasikha, Lomasha and Asuri. All of them having been freed from the deeds, they devote them-selves exclusively. They enjoy the age of a hundred kalpas, they always remain devoted at the feet of lord Hari.

Now you look at Parashurama the son of Jamadagni, Hanuman, Bali, Vyasa, Ashvatthama, Vibhishana, Krupacharya and Jambavan. They were sanctified because of their devotion at the feet of Hari.

O Uddhava, you have a look at siddhas the sages and the devotees of Hari among the humans who always remain devoted at the feet of the lord with spotless mind and enjoy the long life. You look at Prahlada the son of Hiranyakashipu who was always inimical to the gods. He also remained devoted to lord Hari and achieved long life and conquered the movement of time. There are innumerable other such people also. Therefore, as a result of performing great tapas for several births, one is born on the auspicious land of Bharata. Those who don't serve the lord they are foolish and sinners. Leaving Vasudeva, whosoever involves himself in the worldly pleasures and is considered to be a great fool. He willingly leaving aside the nectar, consumes the poison. In the universe who is the wife of whom, who is the son of whom and who is the brother of whom? In the universe when one is over-powered with misfortune who help him except lord Krishna? This is the reason while why the noble people recite the name of Krishna throughout the day and night.

Lord Krishna is the destroyer of the birth, death, old age and ailment, beside removing all the griefs. Only by reciting the name of Sri Krishna, the supreme soul who is blissful, one can over-come the time or death. O son, you listen to me I am going to tell you about the life of the humans, the ancestors, the gods, Brahma, Nagas, Rakshasas and others.

I am revealing to you a deep secret, you listen to me attentively. The great Virat is the best abode and base of everyone. Innumerable globes are enshrined in his hair-pits, you listen to me about the smallest of the things called atom. The time starts from the atom alone, the same atom takes the form of all, is beyond discussion, desired the most with distinction multiplies I variously and also gets because of separated because of which people it to be one. It is known as the atom or paramanu with the combination of three anus is produced trasarenu. Three trasarenus make a truti. This has been ordained by the intellectuals. Thereafter a hundred trutis makes a vedha and three vedhas make a lava, three lavas make a nimesa and three nimesa make a kshana, the five Kshanas make a kastha, the ten kasthas make a laghu and fifteen laghus make a danda. You listen to its measure. A sear of water should be placed in a vase equal of six palas with the hole made by four fingers with the wire of gold. Till such time it remains submerged in the water, the same is called danda. Similarly, two dandas make a mahurta and sixty danda make a tithi. Its eighth part has been described as a Prahara. Similarly, four praharas make a day and four praharas make a night.

Fifteen tithis make a fortnight which are of two types known as the bright and dark fortnights. The two fortnights make a month and two months make a season. Six seasons make a year which are the known as the spring, summer, rainy, winter, autumn and cold.

The intellectuals have described five types of years known as Samvatsara, Pravatsara, Ilavatsara, Anuvatsara and Vatsara. The people who are well-versed in the signs of time or well- aware about the same. O Uddhava, the twelve months make a year known as Vaishakha, Jyestha, Asadha, Sravana, Bhadrapada, Ashvina, Kartika, Margashirsa, Pausa, Magha, Phalguna and Chaitra. Chaitra happens to be the last month of the year, the Chaitra and Vaishakha months represent the spring season, the Jyestha and Asadha represent the summer season, Shravana and Bhadrapada represents the rainy search, Ashvina and Kartika represent the winter season, Margashirsa and Pausa represent the autumn and Magha and Phalguna represent the cold season. There are two half years known as Uttarayana and Dakshinayana. Both of them combined comprise of a year. The period from the month of Magha to Asadha are treated to be Uttarayana while the period from Shravana to Pausa month is treated as Dakshinyana. The span of night increase from the mouth Shravana up to the month of Pausa, the people well-versed in the Vedas have described the bright fortnight from Pratipada to the full moon day as the bright fortnight and from the first day after the full moon to the moonless night as the dark fortnight. The days are counted from Pratipada, Dvitiya, Trtiya, Caturthi, Panchami, Sasthi, Saptami, Astami, Navami, Dashami, Ekadashi, Dvadashi, Trayodashi, Chaturdashi and Amavasya (moonless day).

There are twentyeight Nakshatras, including Ashvini, Bharani, Krittika, Rohini, Mrugashira, Ardra, Punarvasu, Pushya, Ashlesa, Magha, Purvaphalguni, Uttaraphalguni, Hasta, Chitra, Svati, Vishakha, Anuradha, Jyestha, Mula, Purvasadha, Uttarasadha, Shravana, Abhijit, Dhanistha, Shatabhisa, Purvabhadrapada, Uttara-bhadrapada and Revati. These twenty-eight constellations are believed to the wives of the moon and the moon spent the time with them one by one. Though the Vedas only twenty-seven constellations as the spouses of the moon, but still the shadow of Shravana constellation is called Abhijit which makes the total as twenty-eight.

Once in the month of Chaitra, the moon spent his time enjoying the conjugal pleasure with his beautiful spouse Rohini, at this Shravana was enraged and entrusting the care of the moon to her shadow, she left for the house of her parents. Thereafter at the instance of her father the time was distributed. Thereafter the constellation Abhijit was introduced. O son, I have heard about these constellations from the mouth of Krishna tit the mountain of hundred peaks, who always used to move around along with the tithis. Now you listen from me the names of the yoga’s which are Viskambha, Viskambha, Priti, Ayusman, Saubhagya, Shobana, Atiganda, Sukarma, Dhriti, Shula, Ganda, Vruddhi, Dhruva, Vyaghata, Harshana, Vajra, Siddhis, Vyatipata, Variyan, Parigha, Shiva, Sadhya, Shubha, Shukra, Brahmandra and Vaidhrti. The names of the karanas are Bava, Valava, Kaulava, Taitila, Gara, Vanija, Visti, Shakuni, Catuspada, Naga and Kimstughna.

The months of the ancestors are strictly like those of the humans. The bright fortnight is the day of the ancestors, while the dark fortnight is considered to be their nights. Similarly, the years of the gods as expectedly like those of the humans. The period of Uttarayana is considered to be their day and the period of Dakshinayana is considered to be their night. Seventy-one divine yugas make a manvantara.

The age of Indra is exactly like that of Manu which has been described as twenty-five thousand and five hundred years. The sun rays do not reach Brahmaloka. The people of Brahmaloka do not know about the day and night after the fall of Indra.

Like the movement of the human Brahma too has the movement, who falls. Two palas make a danda and two dandas make a muhurta and with the fall of Indra, his one day is counted. Thirty such days make a month and twelve months make a year. Thus, Brahma enjoys the age of a hundred years. After the fall of Brahma, Nimesa a movement of Krishna is counted, there are no days and nights in the Vaikuntha, because it is beyond the reach of the sun. The dwellers of Vaikuntha remain unaware about the day and night. The place is also beyond the reach of the moon and the planets, with the will of the lord, the sighs of zodiac do not move there, the place is illumined with the lustre of lord Krishna and while moving into his palace, one comes across the night.

The same movement of time always prevails in Vishnuloka, the lord is the form of the time, the supreme soul and is invisible, the seven neither worlds are also beyond the reach of the sun and the moon, the dwellers of that place are well aware of the same and they developed know how doubt about the same. The gems studded in the hoods of the serpents illumine the place and the fire is lighted in the evening and the night is covered with darkness, the dwellers of that place know about the time with the ringing of the bells. They have similar arrangement as we have on the earth. There are four yugas known as Satyayuga, Treta, Dvapara and Kali. The life of each one of these extends to twelve thousand divine years. Out of these, Krutayuga has a span of four thousand and eight hundred years. This has been spelt out by the people well-versed in the signs of time. The Satyayuga. has the span of seventeen lakhs and twenty-eight thousand years of the humans? О son, the Tretayuga has the span of lakh and six hundred divine years. This has been told by those well-versed in time. This time is equivalent to twelve lakhs, ninety-six thousand years all the humans. According to those who are well-versed in the signs of time, Dvapara has the span of too thousand and four hundred divine years which period is equivalent to eight lakhs and sixty-four thousand years of humans, this has been ordained by those well-versed in the signs of time. О son, the span of Kaliyuga extends to a thousand and two hundred divine years which is equivalent to four lakhs, thirty-two thousand years of human beings, this has been told by those well-versed in the signs of the time. Thereafter, the astrologer has described the period of Chaturyugas eighty lakhs and twenty thousand years. О son, I have narrated to you whatever I had heard earlier about the time. Now you move on to Mathura, the place of Hari.