Kūrma Mahā Purana
5 - Calculation of Time.
The calculation of Time is a topic common to most of the Puranas vide Bh. P. III. 11.6-38, NP. 1.5.21-31, VP. I. 3.5.28, II.8.60-83, AP. 122.1-24. In KP. itself it is discussed again in 1.29-31, 52 and some in portion of II. 46. The concept of Time as the all-powerful, beginningless, eternal God, creator and destroyer of the Trinity of gods (Brahma, Vişhnu and Rudra) is really majestic. It is a supra-phenomenal reality. Bh. P. looks upon. Time as God, his power (III. 26.15,16) and the Time-sequence (III. 21.18). All these aspects of Kāla are reflected in KP.
Lord Kūrma said:
1. Because he is not born out of any prior person he is called Svayambhū (self-born).
2-3a. Since he is the goal of men, he is called Närāyaṇa. Because he is remover of Samsāra, he is Hara. He is called Vişhnu, because of his all pervasiveness. He is called Bhagavān, because of his perfect knowledge of everything. He is called OM, because of his protectiveness of all. He is Sarvajña (omniscient) because of his knowledge of everything. He is Sarva, because he is identical with everyone.1
1. VV.1=3a are not accepted as genuine by R. S. Bhattacharya and A. S. Gupta in their editions and hence they have dropped them. The Venk. Press cd. brackets them expressing the suspicion of the editors about their being spurious.
3b-4. The calculation of time since coming in existence of the self-born god Brahmā,2 cannot be recounted even by him. in great many years, o excellent Brāhmaņas. In brief, the calculation of time is presumed to be of two Parārdhas.
2. The reading in the footnote svayambhuvo'pi vruttasya is better. The verse is found in LP. 70.107 where v.l. vivrutta appears and is explained as Present Vartamāna by the Com.
5. That alone will be the greatest span of time. At the close of it, creation of the universe is carried out again. In accordance with his measures, his (Brahma's) duration of life is regarded as of one hundred years.
6. That is called Parärdha (v.l. Para). Or (according to some) half of that is called Parārdha.
O excellent Brāhmaṇas, fifteen Nimeshas constitute the Kasthā.3
3. VV. 6-9 give the computation table of the empirical aspect of) Time as follows:
15 nimeshas = 1 kaşhtha
30 Kasthas = 1 kala
30 Kala = 1 muharta
30 muhurtas = 1 Day (Ahoratra)
30 days = 1 month (2 Fortnights)
6 months = 1 ayana
2 Ayanas = 1 (complete) year.
The Bh. P. (III. 11.5-8) gives the following computation:
2 paramánus (of time) = 1 anu
3 anus = 1 trasarenu
3 trasarenus = 1 truti
100 trutis = 1 vedha
3 Vedhas = 1 lava
3 lavas = 1 nimisa
3 nimişhas = 1 kshana
5 kşhanas (i.e. 15 nimişhas) = 1 kaşhtha
15 kāşhthas = 1 laghu
15 laghus = 1 nädikā
2 nädikas = 1 muhurta
6 or 7 nädikas = 1 yāma or Prahara
KP. However, is closer to Manu I. 64 with the exception of the 1st unit of time viz. Kashthā which consists of 18 nimeshas (nimeșhă daśha chashtau cha kaşhthah).
7. Thirty Kashthās make a Kala, and thirty Kalas make the duration of a Muhurta. With as many (i.e. thirty)-Muhūrtas, the period of a human day and night is constituted.
8. A month consists of as many i.e. thirty) days and nights. It (a month) is comprised of two Pakshas (fortnights). Six months make an Ayana and the two Ayanas, the Dakshina and Uttara (Southern and the Northern), make a year."
9-10. The Dakshina Ayana is the night of Devas, and the Uttara Ayana is their day. The four Yugas nained Kruta, Tretā etc., are made up of twelve thousand divine years. Understand their division. Four thousand divine years make the Kruta yuga.1
1. VV. 10-15 give the following durations of Yugas: The years noted are celestial years.
Yuga Years of Regular Years of Total
Sandhya duration Sandhyamsha No.of
in years
Kruta 400 4000 400 4800
Treta 300 3000 300 3600
Dvāpara 200 2000 200 2400
Kali 100 1000 100 1200
Chaturyuga: (The total No. of years in a cycle of 4 yugas) 12000
71 chaturyugas-One Manvantara
1000 cycles of 4 yugas=One Brahma's day.
KP. closely follows Manu I. 69-72.
chatvaryāhuḥ sahasrāņi varşhānām tal krutam yugam |
tasya tavae chati sandhya sandhyāmshash cha tathāvidhaḥ || 69 ||
itareșhu sasandhyeshu sasandhyāmsheșhu cha trishu |
ekāpāyena vartante sahasrani shatani cha || 70 ||
yadetat parishankhyātam adaveva chaturyugam | etad dvadasha sähasram devānāṁ yugam ucale || 71 || daivikānāṁ yugānañ tu sahasram parisankhyaya |
Brāhmamekam ahar jneyam tāvatim rātrim eva cha || 72 ||
11-12. Its Sandhyā (Twilight) and Sandhyāmsha consist of as many hundred years (i.e. four hundred) while for the other viz. Tretă, Dvåpara and Kali Yugas, this period of Sandhyā is in the order: three hundred, two hundred and one hundred years Except the Krutayuga the Sandhyāmsha of other Yugas is six hundred years. For the other Yugas, the duration without Sandhya, and Sandhyāṁsha is three thousand, two thousand and one thousand divine years respectively.
13. In knowing the duration of Tretā, Dvāpara and Tishya (i.e. Kali), the above is to be reckoned. Thus, the entire period consists of twelve thousand and some more divine years.
14. Seventyone such sets of four Yugas constitute a Manvantara.1 There are fourteen Manus, O Brāhmaṇas, in one day of god Brahmā.
1. Arithmetically 1 Manvantara is more than 71 cycles of chaturyugas as can be seen below:
1 Manvantara= 1000 cycles of chaturyugas/ 14 Manvantaras
=71 6/14 chaturyugas
Though Purāņas are vague about the duYation of this period, Shridhara commenting on Sadhika in
chaturyugānāṁ sankhyālā sādhika hyeka-saplatiḥ |
VP.1.3.17
points out that every Manvantara is 71+ chaturyugas.
(Pratimanvantaram eka-saptater adhikam ityarthah)—But none helps us to determine precisely this extra period. The Sürya Siddhanta I. 18-19 tells us that there were fifteen sandhi-kālas, one before the beginning of the first Manvantara and the rest of the fourteen at the end of each Manvantara and Sandhi-kāla covered the period of deluge between two Manvantaras. Mt. P. supports the theory that there was a deluge before the 1st Manvantara. It appears that the Purāņas accommodated this extra period in Sandhya, and Sandhyamsha.
15-16a. The Manus are Svāyambhuva and others.2 Then Savarnika and others.1 This entire Earth consisting of seven continents and their mountains, is to be protected by those kings, for full thousand Yugas.
2. The seven Manus implied here are:
Svāyambhuva, Svārochisha, Uttama, Tāmasa. Raivata, Chakşhuşha and Vaivasvata (vide Infra I. 51.1-26).
1. All these Manus are grouped under the name "Savarni' as the epithet "Savarni' is common to them all viz. Savarni Manu, Daksa S. (Savarni), Brahma S., Dharma S., Rudra S., Rauchya S. and Bhautya S. (but Bhaumya in VP). Cf. Mk. P. 94-99.
16b-17a. By means of (describing in details) one Manvantara, all the Manvantaras are explained. There is no doubt about this (that when one Kalpa is described, in the different Kalpas too there is no difference).
17b. One day of god Brahma is called a Kalpa and his night is of the same duration.
18-19. Learned men say that a thousand sets of four Yugas constitute one Kalpa. Three hundred and sixty Kalpas make one year of god Brahma, o excellent Brahmanas. Hundred times of that period is called a Parardha by them.
20. At the close of that period, all living beings get dissolved in Prakruti, their source. Hence, this is called the reabsorption into Prakruti (Prakruta Pratisaschara) by wise men.
21. It is said that in due course of time,2 Brahma, Narayana and Isa (Rudra), all the three, become merged in Prakruti and their remanifestation also is to take place.
2. VV. 21-24 are quoted in CC Kala (p. 6), Kala-madhava (p. 39) and Purushartha-chintamani (p. 1). The verses are important as here Time is equated with the Almighty eternal God—the Supra-phenomenal Reality.
22. Thus, Brahma, the elements (or all living beings) and even Vasudeva and Shankara are created by Kala (time). He alone devours them again.
23. This Lord Kala is beginningless, endless, free from old age or decay and immortal. He is the Supreme Ruler because of his omnipresence, independence and his state of being the soul of all.
24. There have been many Brahmas, Rudras, Narayanas and others, but there is one Lord controller of all viz. Kala. He is omniscient. So states the Shruti (Vedas).
25. O Brahmanas, now the first Parardha of Brahma has elapsed. Now the second half continues and the prese Kalpa is the first1 therein.
1. VV. 25 & 26 are practically quoted from VP. I.2.27-28.
The emendation ashtama in the Crt. Ed. for agraja hereof and adima in the Mss. seems unnecessary as agraja or adima means the 1st Manvantara of the 2nd half (parardha) of Brahma's life and is quite clear in the context.
26. The Kalpa that has expired is called Padma Kalpa by scholars. Now the current Kalpa is Varaha Kalpa. I shall explain that in detail now.
Summary of chapter 5 of the Kūrma Mahā Purana is as follows:
Bhagavān Kūrma presents the precise divisions of time starting from atomic fractions up to vast cosmic ages. Fifteen Nimeshas make a Kāshṭhā, thirty Kāshṭhās form a Kalā, thirty Kalās make a Muhūrta, and thirty Muhūrtas constitute a human day and night. Human Southward motion is a single night for Devas, and Northward motion is their single day. Twelve thousand divine years comprise a Mahāyuga, consisting of Kṛtayuga, Tretāyuga, Dvāparayuga, and Kaliyuga. Seventy-one Mahāyugas form one Manvantara ruled by fourteen Manus, while one thousand Mahāyugas make a single Kalpa, which is one day of Brahmā, matched by an equal night of cosmic dissolution. Three hundred and sixty such days and nights constitute one year of Brahmā, whose full lifespan of one hundred years is divided into two Parārdhas. Eternal Time is revealed as the imperishable, all-devouring power of Parameshvara Himself, which periodically dissolves and regenerates Brahmā, Vishṇu, and Rudra across endless cosmic cycles.