11-01-2003, 01:01 AM
The Vedic Concept of Time
The measurement of time in the West is restricted to a second at the lowest
level and a century at the highest level.However, ancient Vedic scholars had
defined time from a very minute part of a second to a large multiple of century.
"Surya Siddhanta" is an ancient Vedic text dealing with the astronomical
configurations of the zodiac.
Time in West is measured in the order of seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks,
fortnights (biweekly), months, years, decades and centuries. Though scientists
divide seconds into milli, micro or nano seconds, the nomenclature still
assumes a second as the basic unit.
As per the Surya Siddhanta, the smallest measurement of time is Truti, which is
equivalent to one 3,240,000th part of a second. The time taken to pin a padma
patra (lotus leaf) with a needle is called Truti.
60 such Trutis are equal to one Renuvu, which make it one 54,000th part of a
second. 60 Renuvus comprise one Lavamu, thereby, one Lavamu is a 900th part of a
second. 60 Lavamus make one Leekshakamu. Hence one Leekshakamu is one 15th of a
second. 60 Leekshakamus equal to one Pranamu, accordingly one Pranamu is 4
seconds long. It is also stated that one Pranamu is the time taken to enunciate
ten long syllables.
As per Surya siddhanta (from 10th verse), 6 Pranamus are equal to one
Vighadiya. One Vighadiya is 24 seconds long. 60 Vighadiyas make Ghadiya, which
therefore is equal to 24 minutes. In other words, one minute consists of 2.5
Vighadiyas whereas one hour has 2.5 Ghadiyas.
60 Ghadiyas are said to equal one Stellar day, technically called one
Nakshatra Ahoratram. 60 Ghadiyas of the Hindu systema re equal to 24 hours of
the Western system. 30 stellar days make one Nkshatra Masam (month).
A day is counted by Hindus from one sunrise to the next, while Westerners
treat the time between two consecutive midnights as one day. A month is defined
by Hindus in four different ways. One is stellar month, as described in the
first paragraph. Second kind is called Saavana month;The time between two
consecutive sunrises is considered as one Saavana day and 30 such days
constitute Saavana month. The third type of the month is Lunar month.The time
between two consecutive new moon days is called lunar month, and it consists of
30 lunar tithis. The fourth type of month is a solar month. The zodiac is
treated as a circle having 360 degrees. The time taken by the sun to travel 1
degree of this circular zodiac is called one solar day. 30 such solar days
combine to make one solar month. The zodiac is divided into 12 (Rasi) signs,
namely Mesha, Vrishaba... and so on. Each sign occupies 30 degrees. The sun's
movement thru' one Rasi (sign)is completed on one solar month which is also
referred to as one Sankramana. Thus Sun's passage thru' Mesha is called Mesha
Sankramana.
A solar year consists of 12 solar months. One solar year is said to be equal
to one day of the Devatas or one Divine day. Thus 360 solar years are equal to
one Divine year. 12,000 Divine years form one Maha Yuga. Thus one Maha Yuga
contains 4,320,000 solar years. A Maha Yuga contains 4 yugas, namely Krita Yuga
(1,728,000 solar years), Treta Yuga (1,296,000 solar years), Dwapara Yuga
(864,000 solar years) and Kali Yuga (432,000 solar years) in that order. Each
yuga is again divided into 4 equal Padas (Quadrants).
71 Maha Yugas are collectively termed as a Manvantra, which thereby consists
of 306,720,000 solar years. After each Manvantra, it is said that there is a
Sandhi Kala of the duration of one Krita Yuga (1,728,000 solar years). It is
also stated that the entire earth is submerged under water during such a Sandhi
Kala.
A Manvantra, along with its Sandhi Kala, is jointly considered as a unit
(308,448,000 solar years). 14 such units combine to form a Kalpa (4,318,272,000
solar years). At the beginning of each Kalpa is included an Adi Sandhi period,
again of the duration of one Krita Yuga (1,728,000 solar years). Thus one Kalpa
is equal to 4,320,000,000 (432 crores or 4.32 Billion) solar years, that is 1000
Maha Yugas.
One Kalpa is said to be half a day for Lord Brahma. Hence one day of Lord
Brahma is equal to 864 crore ( 8.64 Billion) solar years. The name of the
present Kalpa is Sweta Varaha. In the present Kalpa, six Manvantaras plus
Sandhis have been completed and the seventh Manvantara by name Vyvaswata
Manvantara is running. In this Manvantara, 27 Maha Yugas are over and we are in
the twentieth (28). In this 28th Maha Yuga, three Yugas are past and the fourth,
that is Kali Yuga's first quadrant started about 5005 years ago. This is the
reason why before commencing any puja, ritual or vrata (worship), we start
invoking the Gods, reminding ourselves of the time elapsed to date, by chanting
the Sankalpa thus.
SANKALPAM
Adya Brahmanah, Dwiteeya Parardhe, Sri Sweta Varaha Kalpe, Vyvaswata Manvantare,
Kali Yuge, Prathama Pade, Jambu Dweepe, Bharata varshe,..
and so on.
The author (Sri Rao) concludes:
I wish to impress upon the readers that in the Vedic system, the measurement of
time ranges from the smallest Truit (3,240,000th part of a second) to a Day of
Lord Brahma (8.64 Billion solar years). This detailed visualization of time is
unique to the Hindu system, unequalled by any other system in the world. I
salute to the intelligence of the ancient scholars of our country.
The measurement of time in the West is restricted to a second at the lowest
level and a century at the highest level.However, ancient Vedic scholars had
defined time from a very minute part of a second to a large multiple of century.
"Surya Siddhanta" is an ancient Vedic text dealing with the astronomical
configurations of the zodiac.
Time in West is measured in the order of seconds, minutes, hours, days, weeks,
fortnights (biweekly), months, years, decades and centuries. Though scientists
divide seconds into milli, micro or nano seconds, the nomenclature still
assumes a second as the basic unit.
As per the Surya Siddhanta, the smallest measurement of time is Truti, which is
equivalent to one 3,240,000th part of a second. The time taken to pin a padma
patra (lotus leaf) with a needle is called Truti.
60 such Trutis are equal to one Renuvu, which make it one 54,000th part of a
second. 60 Renuvus comprise one Lavamu, thereby, one Lavamu is a 900th part of a
second. 60 Lavamus make one Leekshakamu. Hence one Leekshakamu is one 15th of a
second. 60 Leekshakamus equal to one Pranamu, accordingly one Pranamu is 4
seconds long. It is also stated that one Pranamu is the time taken to enunciate
ten long syllables.
As per Surya siddhanta (from 10th verse), 6 Pranamus are equal to one
Vighadiya. One Vighadiya is 24 seconds long. 60 Vighadiyas make Ghadiya, which
therefore is equal to 24 minutes. In other words, one minute consists of 2.5
Vighadiyas whereas one hour has 2.5 Ghadiyas.
60 Ghadiyas are said to equal one Stellar day, technically called one
Nakshatra Ahoratram. 60 Ghadiyas of the Hindu systema re equal to 24 hours of
the Western system. 30 stellar days make one Nkshatra Masam (month).
A day is counted by Hindus from one sunrise to the next, while Westerners
treat the time between two consecutive midnights as one day. A month is defined
by Hindus in four different ways. One is stellar month, as described in the
first paragraph. Second kind is called Saavana month;The time between two
consecutive sunrises is considered as one Saavana day and 30 such days
constitute Saavana month. The third type of the month is Lunar month.The time
between two consecutive new moon days is called lunar month, and it consists of
30 lunar tithis. The fourth type of month is a solar month. The zodiac is
treated as a circle having 360 degrees. The time taken by the sun to travel 1
degree of this circular zodiac is called one solar day. 30 such solar days
combine to make one solar month. The zodiac is divided into 12 (Rasi) signs,
namely Mesha, Vrishaba... and so on. Each sign occupies 30 degrees. The sun's
movement thru' one Rasi (sign)is completed on one solar month which is also
referred to as one Sankramana. Thus Sun's passage thru' Mesha is called Mesha
Sankramana.
A solar year consists of 12 solar months. One solar year is said to be equal
to one day of the Devatas or one Divine day. Thus 360 solar years are equal to
one Divine year. 12,000 Divine years form one Maha Yuga. Thus one Maha Yuga
contains 4,320,000 solar years. A Maha Yuga contains 4 yugas, namely Krita Yuga
(1,728,000 solar years), Treta Yuga (1,296,000 solar years), Dwapara Yuga
(864,000 solar years) and Kali Yuga (432,000 solar years) in that order. Each
yuga is again divided into 4 equal Padas (Quadrants).
71 Maha Yugas are collectively termed as a Manvantra, which thereby consists
of 306,720,000 solar years. After each Manvantra, it is said that there is a
Sandhi Kala of the duration of one Krita Yuga (1,728,000 solar years). It is
also stated that the entire earth is submerged under water during such a Sandhi
Kala.
A Manvantra, along with its Sandhi Kala, is jointly considered as a unit
(308,448,000 solar years). 14 such units combine to form a Kalpa (4,318,272,000
solar years). At the beginning of each Kalpa is included an Adi Sandhi period,
again of the duration of one Krita Yuga (1,728,000 solar years). Thus one Kalpa
is equal to 4,320,000,000 (432 crores or 4.32 Billion) solar years, that is 1000
Maha Yugas.
One Kalpa is said to be half a day for Lord Brahma. Hence one day of Lord
Brahma is equal to 864 crore ( 8.64 Billion) solar years. The name of the
present Kalpa is Sweta Varaha. In the present Kalpa, six Manvantaras plus
Sandhis have been completed and the seventh Manvantara by name Vyvaswata
Manvantara is running. In this Manvantara, 27 Maha Yugas are over and we are in
the twentieth (28). In this 28th Maha Yuga, three Yugas are past and the fourth,
that is Kali Yuga's first quadrant started about 5005 years ago. This is the
reason why before commencing any puja, ritual or vrata (worship), we start
invoking the Gods, reminding ourselves of the time elapsed to date, by chanting
the Sankalpa thus.
SANKALPAM
Adya Brahmanah, Dwiteeya Parardhe, Sri Sweta Varaha Kalpe, Vyvaswata Manvantare,
Kali Yuge, Prathama Pade, Jambu Dweepe, Bharata varshe,..
and so on.
The author (Sri Rao) concludes:
I wish to impress upon the readers that in the Vedic system, the measurement of
time ranges from the smallest Truit (3,240,000th part of a second) to a Day of
Lord Brahma (8.64 Billion solar years). This detailed visualization of time is
unique to the Hindu system, unequalled by any other system in the world. I
salute to the intelligence of the ancient scholars of our country.