Hindu units of time

Hindu texts describe units of Kala measurements, from microseconds to Trillions of years.[1]According to these texts, time is cyclic, which repeats itself forever.[2]

Time units

Hindu measurements in logarithmic scale.

Various units of time are used across the Vedas, Srimad Bagwat Purana,Vishnu Puran, Mahabharata, Suryasidhanta etc.A summary of the Hindu metrics of time (kāla vyavahāra) follows.[3]

Sidereal metrics

Unit Definition Relation to SI units
Truti त्रुति Base unit ≈ 0.031 µs
Renu रेणु 60 Truti ≈ 1.86 µs
Lava लव 60 Renu ≈ 0.11 ms
Līkṣaka लीक्षक 60 Lava ≈ 6.696 ms
Lipta लिप्ता 60 Leekshaka ≈ 0.401 s
Vipala विपल
Pala पल 60 Lipta ≈ 24.1056 s
Vighaṭi विघटि
Vinādī विनाडी
Ghaṭi घटि 60 Vighaṭi ≈ 24 min
Nādī नाडी
Danda दण्ड
Muhūrta मुहूर्त 2 Ghaṭi ≈ 48 min
Nakṣatra Ahorātram (Sidereal Day) नक्षत्र अहोरात्रम् 60 Ghaṭī ≈ 24 h
30 Muhūrta ≈ 24 h
Alternate system
Unit Definition Relation to SI units
Truti Base unit ≈ 35.5 µs
Tatpara 100 Truti ≈ 3.55 ms
Nimesha 30 Tatpara ≈ 106.7 ms
Kāṣṭhā 30 Nimesha ≈ 3.2 s
Kalā 30 Kāṣṭhā ≈ 1.6 min
Muhūrta 30 Kalā ≈ 48 min
Nakṣatra Ahorātram (Sidereal Day) 30 Muhūrta ≈ 24 h

Small units of time used in the Vedas

Unit Definition Relation to SI units
Paramāṇu Base unit ≈ 26.3 µs
Aṇu 2 Paramāṇu ≈ 52.67 µs
Trasareṇu 3 Aṇu ≈ 158 µs
Truṭi 3 Trasareṇu ≈ 474 µs
Vedha 100 Truṭi ≈ 47.4 ms
Lava 3 Vedha ≈ 0.14 s
Nimeṣa 3 Lava ≈ 0.43 s
Kṣaṇa 3 Nimesha ≈ 1.28 s
Kāṣṭhā 5 Kṣaṇa ≈ 6.4 s
Laghu 15 Kāṣṭhā ≈ 1.6 min
Danda 15 Laghu ≈ 24 min
Muhūrta 2 Danda ≈ 48 min
Ahorātram (Day) 30 Muhūrta ≈ 24 h
Masa (Month) 30 Ahorātram ≈ 30 days
Ritu (Season) 2 Masa ≈ 2 months
Ayana 3 Ritu ≈ 6 months
Samvatsara (Year) 2 Ayana ≈ 365 days[4]
Ahorātram of Deva

Lunar metrics

Tropical metrics

Name Definition Equivalence
Yama याम ¼th of a day (light) or night ≈ 3 hours
Sāvana Ahorātram सावन अहोरात्रम् 8 Yamas 1 Solar day

Reckoning of time among other entities

Among the Pitṛs (forefathers)


The Lifespan of the pitras is 100 years of pitras (3,000 Solar years).[12]

Among the Devas

The life span of any Hindu deva spans nearly (or more than) 4.5 million years. Statistically, we can also look it as:

The Viṣṇu Purāṇa Time measurement section of the Viṣṇu Purāṇa Book I Chapter III explains the above as follows:

For Brahma

(2 Kalpas constitute a day and night of Brahma, 8.64 billion human years)

One day of Brahma is divided into 1000 parts called charaṇas.[20]

Four Yugas

Yugas can be understood easily by the Set theory. Satya Yuga is the largest set & other yugas are its subsets. It also implies that Satya/Truth exists in all Yugas. The charaṇas are divided as follows:

The Four Yugas
4 charaṇas (1,728,000 solar years) Satya Yuga
3 charaṇas (1,296,000 solar years) Treta Yuga
2 charaṇas (864,000 solar years) Dvapara Yuga
1 charaṇas (432,000 solar years) Kali Yuga
Source:
Kalki Krishna Balarama Rama Parashurama Vamana Narasimha Varaha Kurma Matsya

The cycle repeats itself, so altogether there are 1,000 cycles of Mahā-Yuga in one day of Brahma.

  • One cycle of the above four Yugas is one Mahā-Yuga (4.32 million solar years)
  • as is confirmed by the Gītā Śloka 8.17 (statement) "sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ te 'ho-rātra-vido janāḥ", meaning, a day of brahma is of 1000 Mahā-Yuga. Thus a day of Brahma, Kalpa, is of duration: 4.32 billion solar years. Two Kalpas constitute a day and night (Adhi Sandhi) of Brahma.[21]
  • A Manvantara consists of 71 Mahā-Yuga (306,720,000 solar years). Each Manvantara is ruled by a Manu.[22]
  • After each Manvantara follows one Saṃdhi Kāla of the same duration as a Kṛta Yuga (1,728,000 = 4 Charaṇas). (It is said that during a Saṃdhi Kāla, the entire earth is submerged in water.)[23]
  • A Kalpa consists of a period of 4.32 Billion solar years followed by 14 Manvataras and Saṃdhi Kalas.[24]
  • A day of Brahma equals
(14 times 71 Mahā-Yuga) + (15 × 4 Charaṇas)
= 994 Mahā-Yuga + (15 * 4800)
= 994 Mahā-Yuga + (72,000 years)[deva years] / 6 = 12,000[deva years] viz. one maha yuga.
= 994 Mahā-Yuga + 6 Mahā-Yuga
= 1,000 Mahā-Yuga.[25]


See also

References

  1. ↑ S.V Gupta. Units of Measurement: Past, Present and Future. International System of Units. Springer. p. 3.
  2. ↑ Dick Teresi. Lost Discoveries: The Ancient Roots of Modern Science--from the Baby. SimonandSchuster. p. 174.
  3. ↑ S.V Gupta. Units of Measurement: Past, Present and Future. International System of Units. Springer. p. 4,5.
  4. ↑ S.V Gupta. Units of Measurement: Past, Present and Future. International System of Units. Springer. p. 5.
  5. ↑ S.V Gupta. Units of Measurement: Past, Present and Future. International System of Units. Springer. p. 5,6.
  6. ↑ S.V Gupta. Units of Measurement: Past, Present and Future. International System of Units. Springer. p. 5,6.
  7. ↑ S.V Gupta. Units of Measurement: Past, Present and Future. International System of Units. Springer. p. 5,6.
  8. ↑ S.V Gupta. Units of Measurement: Past, Present and Future. International System of Units. Springer. p. 5,6.
  9. ↑ S.V Gupta. Units of Measurement: Past, Present and Future. International System of Units. Springer. p. 5,6.
  10. ↑ S.V Gupta. Units of Measurement: Past, Present and Future. International System of Units. Springer. p. 5,6.
  11. ↑ S.V Gupta. Units of Measurement: Past, Present and Future. International System of Units. Springer. p. 6.
  12. ↑ S.V Gupta. Units of Measurement: Past, Present and Future. International System of Units. Springer. p. 6.
  13. ↑ Hans Kng. Tracing The Way: Spiritual Dimensions of the World Religions. A&C Black. p. 50.
  14. ↑ Hans Kng. Tracing The Way: Spiritual Dimensions of the World Religions. A&C Black. p. 50.
  15. ↑ Hans Kng. Tracing The Way: Spiritual Dimensions of the World Religions. A&C Black. p. 50.
  16. ↑ Hans Kng. Tracing The Way: Spiritual Dimensions of the World Religions. A&C Black. p. 50.
  17. ↑ Hans Kng. Tracing The Way: Spiritual Dimensions of the World Religions. A&C Black. p. 50.
  18. ↑ Hans Kng. Tracing The Way: Spiritual Dimensions of the World Religions. A&C Black. p. 50.
  19. ↑ Hans Kng. Tracing The Way: Spiritual Dimensions of the World Religions. A&C Black. p. 50.
  20. ↑ Bryan E. Penprase. The Power of Stars. Springer. p. 182.
  21. ↑ Swami Mukundananda. Bhagavad Gita The Song of God.
  22. ↑ Bryan E. Penprase. The Power of Stars. Springer. p. 182.
  23. ↑ Bryan E. Penprase. The Power of Stars. Springer. p. 182.
  24. ↑ Bryan E. Penprase. The Power of Stars. Springer. p. 182.
  25. ↑ Bryan E. Penprase. The Power of Stars. Springer. p. 182.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.