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Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies

Volume 12 Article 7

January 1999

Y51K and Still Counting: Some Hindu Views of

Vasudha Narayanan

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Recommended Citation Narayanan, Vasudha (1999) "Y51K and Still Counting: Some Hindu Views of Time," Journal of Hindu- Christian Studies: Vol. 12, Article 7. Available at: https://doi.org/10.7825/2164-6279.1205

The Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies is a publication of the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies. The digital version is made available by Digital Commons @ Butler University. For questions about the Journal or the Society, please contact [email protected]. For more information about Digital Commons @ Butler University, please contact [email protected]. Narayanan: Y51K and Still Counting: Some Hindu Views of Time

Y51K and Still Counting: Some Hindu Views of Time

Vasudha Narayanan University of Florida

AT THE BEGINNING of every religious points made here in understanding "time". conducted in Hindu brahmanical The first is the large expanses of measuring modes, the officiating priest and those doing time, something that the early the ritual formally declare the co-ordinates and the epic seem to of the land and the time in which the rite delight in. Second, there is a concern for the takes place. These words are part of the very specific calendrical details. Finally, sankalpa or the declaration of intention to there is a recording of whether this is an do the ritual. Such co-ordinates are in "auspicious" ritual. These three categories - cosmic frameworks; the land is identified (a) cosmic time, (b) calendrical time, and (c) with one of the dvipas or islands in puranic auspicious and inauspicious, pure and cosmology and the timespan is given as a impure - will form the major part of moment that occurs in a span of millions of this essay. In addition to discussing time years. The celebrant first announces the under these three categories, one may also name of the (a span of 4320 million note other perspectives on Hindu concepts human years which is equal to one day in of time. Of the many other viewpoints, the the life of the creator ) and then prominent ones would be those of art and finetunes it to a shorter time period called architecture, and theology. I shall touch the manavantara, a span of approximately upon the latter briefly, more to give a range 306,720,000 human years named after the of views, rather than to be exhaustive. My primeval man called Vaivasvata. One then discussion will be diachronic in mode, notes that this is first part of the looking at the concepts that are important (this immediate cycle of 432,000 years). today. Several interesting topics such as the After these cosmic notations of time, the of these concepts, the fascinating person who is about to do the ritual also stories of sharing and borrowing between notes the· calendrical details. The name of , the Middle-East, and the Graeco­ the year is mentioned (many Hindu roman worlds, and the . depiction of time in go in 60-year cycles and each year art and architecture will be beyond the scope has a name); followed by a Sanskrit term to of the discussion in this essay. indicate whether the sun is in the northern or southern hemisphere. This is followed by Time in Traditional Sanskrit Texts the zodiac sign, the season, the month, the The epic Mahabharata (ca. 500 BCE) and phase of the moon, the week, and finally the Sanskrit texts known as Puranas (composed particular stellar constellation where the between 300 and 1200 CE) speak of moon is that day. If the ritual is to be an the earth being created and destroyed in auspicious one, a happy one, the celebrant cycles. These cycles are known as the days goes on to say that this day is an and nights of the, creator god (a minor deity) "auspicious" one. called Brahma. During the day (which is If we were to look at broad, sweeping called a kalpa) there are secondary cycles of categories, we may note at least three major creation and destruction. Each kalpa is

Hindu-Christian Studies Bulletin 12 (1999) 15-21 Published by Digital Commons @ Butler University, 1999 1 -- Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies, Vol. 12 [1999], Art. 7 16 Vasudha Narayanan

approximately 4320 million earthly years BCE. (there are distinctions between earthly years Many of the Puranas say that one and the years of the , which are much human year is equal to one day of the gods. longer). The nights of Brahma are of equal Thus the 12000 god-years that make up one length. 360 such days and nights make a great or maha· yuga translates to year of Brahma and Brahma lives for a 100 approximately 4,320,000 human years. A years. This cycle therefore is 311,040,000 thousand of these (4,320,000,000 human million years and after this, the entire years), as we noted earlier, constitutes one cosmos is drawn into the body of or day of Brahma (kalpa), and his night is (depending on which Purana one is equally long. Some texts, like the reading), and remains there until another Vishnudharma sutra (20: 1-15;. quoted in Brahma is evolved. Kane: 691) Puranas assert that the life time During each of his days, the creator god of a Brahma (either 100 or 108 Brahma­ brings out the universe periodically and years) is the equivalent of one day in the life withdraws it into himself. By another count, of Purusa or Vishnu. To summarize: 360 a day in the life of Brahma is divided into 14 human years make one day of the gods. manavantaras, and each lasts 306,720,000 12,000 god years make one day of Brahma; years. The manavantaras are named after another such 12,000 god years make one the or primeval man who starts night of Brahma. A hundred (or hundred and creation in each span of time. There are long eight) years of Brahm a is one day of Vishnu. intervals between each manavantara, and at Time stops there. these times the world is recreated and a new In Spring 1999, complete the Manu or primeval man appears; he begins year 5100 of and begin 5101; an the human race. event that has not attracted any attention. Each day of Brahma, or kalpa, contains The age of kali, after all, lasts 432,000 years a thousand "great eons" (maha yuga). Each and, even according to the traditional count, maha yuga, in tum, is divided into four eons we are still on the threshold of kali. At the (yuga). The shortest cycle in cosmic time is end of the kali period, Vishnu, (at least in called a yuga or eon. The (krta the perception of his followers), is to yuga) lasts 4,800 years of gods. This period incarnate himself as a person called , includes the "dawn" and "dusk" of the age and destroy evil. At this time, there will be and is equivalent to 1,728,000 human or no righteousness, no virtue, no trace of earthly years. During this time, or justice. According to one description, at this righteousness is on firm footing. Righteous­ time people will lie habitually, barbarian ness is on all four legs, if one uses a kings will rule earth with false policies, quadruped as the analogy. The Treta age is taxes increase, women bear children at a shorter, it lasts 3600 god years, that is young age, the populatipn spirals, and a 1,296,000 earthly years; dharma is then on stench fills the earth. three legs. The Dvapara age lasts half as At the end of the thousand maha , long as the golden or krta age; it is 2400 god a drought befalls the land, oceans dry up and years long (864,000 earthly years) and strange clouds of different colours rise in the dharma is now hopping on two legs. During sky. Cataclysms herald the end of the cycle the kali yuga, the worst of all possible ages, of creation. 1 When the world ends, seven dharma is on one leg and things get suns will scorch up the oceans; wondrous progressively worse. There is a steady shaped clouds will rise to the sky and decline through the yugas in morality, eventually the cosmos will be absorbed into righteousness, lifespan, and in human Vishnu. satisfaction. This age lasts for 1200 god What we have, therefore, is the mega­ years (432,000 earthly years) and this destruction at the end of each day of present cycle according to traditional Hindu Brahma, but within his day are a number of reckoning is said to have begun around 3102 other destructions. Sanskrit texts2 sometimes

https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol12/iss1/7 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1205 2 1

Narayanan: Y51K and Still Counting: Some Hindu Views of Time Y51 K and Still Counting 17

distinguish between four kinds of or the Saka , which is said to have started destruction. The first kind is the daily (nitya) around 78 CEo Less popular is the Vikrama destruction, referring to the deaths of all era which began around 57 BCE. The beings that are born. And then there is the origins of these are not known. occasional destruction (naimittika), at the Of the many calendars, one may end of each day of Braluna, that is, after distinguish between the lunar and the solar 1000 maha yugas. This is the kind of based ones. Unlike the Muslims, Hindus do destruction that was just described in the last not follow a completely lunar and paragraph. There is also a kind of adjust it to the solar year regularly. There dissolution called prakrtika, when all things are many ways of adding extra months and dissolve into prakriti, a kind of primordial there is a complete set of admonitions about substance according to the ancient Sankhya what is to be performed then and what is to philosophy.3 Everything is dissolved be avoided. Because there are many ultimately in the Lord Vishnu. The last calendars, Hindus celebrate New Year's Day destruction is called atyantika pralaya; it is at different times of the year. People from the destruction of human bondage and Gujarat start the new year around the time of denotes the final liberation or moksha of the Deepavali, the festival of lights that comes . In these descriptions of "destruction", on the new moon day between 15 October the first and the last refer to a living being; and 14 November. People from Andhra and the second and third focus on the destruction Kamataka celebrate New Year () on of the entire cosmos. the new moon that comes close to the vernal The Puranas thus deal with equinox. Tamil speaking people and many astronomical units of time; the age of the states of north India celebrate New Year earth and of the human being is around 14 or 15 April. infinitesimally small in relation to the eons Ugadi is the beginning of the new year of time the universe goes through. What is for millions of Hindus in the states of important to note is that while according to Kamataka and Andhra Pradesh. The word many Hindu systems of thought it is entirely "Ugadi" comes from the Sanskrit terms possible for a human being to bring to end "Yuga-adi" or the "the beginning of the new his or her cycle of birth and death, either era". -The U gadi festival is celebrated on the through transforming wisdom or through first day in the bright half of the month of devotion, or both, the cycles of creation and (14 March - 14 April and so it is destruction of the universe go on usually the day after the new moon in this independently of the human being attaining period. moksha or, liberation. The cycles are more The month of Chaitra coincides with spiral than circular; while there is creation the beginning of Spring and new growth. and destruction, it is not repetitive, but an Sometimes, the season of Ugadi is on-going process for those who have not considered to be the beginning of planting attained moksha. new crops, and cattle which are used for Although the Puranas focus on great ploughing the ground are honoured. It is a spans of time which are referred to at the time of new beginnings and growth. In the _ beginning of , the sankalpa lines folk traditions of India, it is generally quickly move on to calendrical details. believed that growth is maximized when While according to one count we are something is started on the new moon day. supposed to have begun the year 5101 of Just as the moon will wax and grow, so too kali yuga, most Hindu calendars - and there will any enterprise that is begun on the new­ are several of them - have other starting moon day in Spri:ng, for this time is said to points. It is estimated that in the 1950s there be full of potential for growth. Thus Ugadi were about 30 different calendars being used heralds the beginnings of not just a new in India.4 There are at least three eras used calendar year, but the growth of crops and by Hindus and the most popular of these is perhaps one's fortune as well.

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Just as it is in many other parts of the middle of September) and so on. Navaratri, world, New Year's Day is celebrated with the fall festival of "nine nights"· usually joy, but what is unique to this festival is a starts on the new moon day which comes whimsical and philosophical custom that is between late September and early October; part of the fanfare. On Ugadi day one eats a and frequently (though not always) dish known as the "Ugadi pacchadi" or coincides with the Jewish rituals of Rosh "chutney". This is a piquant combination of Hashanah and Yom Kippur. In general, tamarind paste, neem flowers, brown sugar while birthdays of deities follow the phases or sweet jaggery, salt, and sometimes of the moon, the birthdays of human beings mango. It is popularly held that if you get are celebrated by noting the proximity of the more neem in the mouthful you eat, the next moon to a particular star or constellation. year will be bitter, but if you get more Astrology, orjyotisha was an extremely jaggery, the prediction is that it will be a important discipline and considered to be an "sweet" year. Actually the simple dish ancillary of the . It has frequently been reminds the people that the following year - held that Indians did not pursue pure as all of life - will consist of not just sweet sciences and that applied fields of study experiences, but a combination of sweet, were important. While this is arguable, it is sour, salty, and bitter episodes. Just as the undisputed that the study of mathematics different substances are bound together, one and astronomy for the sake of predictions is reminded that no event or episode is and celebrating rituals was of paramount wholly good or bad. Even in the midst of significance. The right time, under the bitter experiences, there are sweet moments. influence of the right stars was crucial for One is also reminded that the experience of embarking on journeys, invasions, moving taste is transitory and ephemeral; so too, is into a new house, starting a new job, life, and one has to learn to put pain and celebrating sacrifices, religious rituals, pleasure in proper temporal perspective. sacraments like weddings, investiture of the Ugadi is based on the phases of the sacred thread, etc. This involved choice of a moon, and the people who follow this week day, the phase of the moon, the star festival also observe the beginning of every near which the moon was present, etc. Texts new month around new moon day. Since the even indicate the stars under which men calendar is adjusted to the , may shave or have hair cuts. While there are they come within the same time interval generic guidelines, frequently the date had every year. Most festivals are based on the to be fine-tuned to the particulars of the phases of the moon, connected to the waxing natal horoscope of a person. Many people - or waning fortnight of a particular month. except those at the lower ends of the Birthdays of deities are thus usually economic scale - had their horoscopes cast celebrated on a particular tithi or phase of very precisely and this was, used to plot the the moon, even though the stars they are course of important events in their lives. born under is also noted in texts. When a Weddings were arranged only after Hindu says that a god or person was born matching the horoscopes of the bride and the under a particular star, what is meant is that bridegroom. This was not just out of the moon was near a particular constellation concerns for compatibility of personalities - or star when that deity incarnated or the which were supposed to be indicated by the person was born. , an incarnation of horoscope - but also to balance the good Vishnu, is said to have been born when the times and the bad times that the couple moon was near the star Punarvasu, on the would go through. ninth day of the waxing moon in the month Apart from performing the right ritual of Chaitra or Chitra; on the eighth or action at the most propitious time, there day of the waning moon in the month of are also general guidelines about what times Avani (the Tamil name of the month that are auspicious or inauspicious, pure or falls between the middle of August and the polluted. The concepts of auspiciousness -

https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol12/iss1/7 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1205 4 Narayanan: Y51K and Still Counting: Some Hindu Views of Time Y51K and Still Counting 19

that is "happiness" - and purity are distinct. times that the Hindu temple in New York They sometimes overlap - death is an event calculates and prints the astrologically that makes time both inauspicious and correct times of Rahu Kalam (adjusting it to polluting but there are others, like the birth the sunrise here) in the American continent of a child in a family, which is an auspicious in the yearly calendar it mails out to event, but which makes the time ritually thousands of devotees. polluted. Thus events sometimes attach value to time. The days of menstruation are Theological Views of Time considered to be an impure and polluting Although time is experienced and judged as time for women and they may not propitious or not, philosophers and participate in religious rituals, according to theologians have also pondered on the place both text and practice. of time in the grand scheme of things in the In addition to events over which one universe. I shall only note a few viewpoints mayor may not have control, the daily here, and very briefly at that, to have some almanacs (pancanga) of most Hindus understanding of how time has been declare certain times to be definitely perceived by these thinkers. In the inauspicious for commencing something traditional advaitin view, time, like most new or even performing certain activities. other things, is ultimately, from the highest There are, of course, various gradations in viewpoint, part of the universe resulting this and various levels of belief and practice. from . Vedanta Desika, a thirteenth In general, eclipses are considered to be century philosopher, on the other hand, times of pollution for all human beings. One thinks of time as real. Like Ramanuja, his is admonished to have a purifying bath after earlier Visistadvaita predecessor, Vedanta the completion of an eclipse. Desika (1268-1368) thinks of the entire There are many other days which are universe as the body of Vishnu. Vishnu is considered to be not very auspicious due to the inner soul, immanent in all of creation. the position of the various planets and stars. The universe is divided into cetana (that Calendars found in many parts of south which has consciousness) and acetana, that India clearly indicate the positions of these without consciousness. The latter category is heavenly bodies on any given day. Many further divided into jada (inanimate) and south Indians also believe that there are ajada (not-inanimate); Prakriti, that is all certain times every day which are not matter with the three inherent characteristics propitious. This inauspicious time is called of sattva, rajas, and tamas, is part of the Rahu kalam(time of the planet Rahu). Rahu inanimate universe. Kala or time is another is considered to be the descending node of part of this inanimate creation. Other the moon according to , and philosophers also muse about the existence there are specific times on each week day of time in the state of liberation. While that are considered to be the time of Rahu. many say there is no time for those who are While these times are, strictly speaking, liberated, some, like Vedanta Desika, say it dependent on the specific times of sun rise, exists only in so far that the liberated soul's over the years, the times have become joy of experiencing and serving the Lord standardized. Thus, Rahu kalam is said to and keeps increasing. come between 7.30 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Mondays, between 10.30 a.m. and 12 noon Subversion of Inauspicious Times and on Fridays, between 4.30 p.m. and 6.00 p.m. Kali Yuga by Devotional Activities . on Sundays, and so on. Most people in south For the larger part of this paper, we have India are aware of these times, know them discussed traditional views of time. This by heart and try not to do anything important time is heterogeneous in nature and is during these times. Certainly, people would deemed auspicious or inauspicious. While not start a journey or conduct a wedding these views of time are generic in nature, during Rahu Kalam. So important are these

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specific sectarian works say that by (Kannan), he sees the age of kali being particular devotional activities, the evil destroyed: effects of the age of kali can be ended, or the Rejoice! Rejoice! Rejoice! polluting effects of time may be overcome. The potent curse of life is gone. In this connection, a famous example is the The agony of is destroyed. story of Draupadi. Draupadi, the royal wife Death has no place here. of the princes in the Mahabharata The age ofkali is destroyed. has become a "slave" of the prince~ See for yourselfl during a gambling match in which she had The followers of the sea-coloured Lord spread over this earth; been staked as part of a wager. The princes singing with melody, who won this immoral gambling match now whirling and dancing. dispatched Dusassana to fetch her. Draupadi We see them. is in seclusion at the time, because she is Tiruvaymoli 5.2.1 menstruating. Dusassana drags her and proceeds to disrobe her in public, saying that The dizzying age ofkali ends; the divine ones also enter he owns her garments. Not one person in the The golden age dawns royal assembly gets up to physically stop and waves of great joy this outrage. In desperation, she calls upon flood the land. Lord Krishna, and takes refuge in him. The followers of my Lord Miraculously, the clothes which are being dark as a cloud, pulled from her keep growing longer and coloured like the sea, longer, the garment increases infinitely and fill this earth, singing with melody. finally Dusassana gives up in frustration. They have settled all over the land. The point made by a thirteenth century Tiruvaymoli 5.2.3 theologian, Pillai Lokacarya, is simple. All over the worlds, When one takes refuge in God, one does not Siva, Brahma, and others have to worry about finding an auspicious and the hordes of immortal bei~gs, time or place or a time when one is worship the sacred form of Kannan physically or ritually pure. Arguably, and spread out everywhere. Draupadi was in a crisis situation and could o servants if you worship him like them not afford to say that she would surrender to there will be no more age of kali. God after she stopped menstruating. She Tiruvaymoli 5.2.10 . needed his help right then. Similarly, we too, When devotees fill this earth, the negative it is implied, are in a state of spiritual crisis influences of the kali age is transcended. and should surrender as soon as we can to The cycles of the golden age and kali yuga the Lord. are for those bound to this cycle of life and Another more frequently observed view death. Devotion leads one to emancipation iii is that when one is devoted to the Lord, or from the cycles of life and death; devotion when one palpably feels the grace of a leads one to moksha or liberation. For those human teacher ( or acarya), there is no who have moksha, there is no more cycle of more kali yuga for that person. Thus, in one time, cycles that last millions of years. The hagiographic incident, it is reported that time cycles spoken of in the Puranas exist Pillan, a disciple of the eleventh-century for others; the liberated soul is freed of time theologian Ramanuja, is said to have once it is freed from its cycles of life and marvelled that with the coming of his death. teacher, kali yuga was destroyed and the One may, therefore, speak of time and new golden age had dawned. We also find a timelessness, depending on whether one is similar sentiment in the poetry of tied to the cycle of birth and death or Nammalvar, an eighth century saint. In a liberated. Time is gigantically spiral with dramatic vision in which he sees the world enormous periods of creation and des- filled with devotees of Vishnu and Krishna

https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs/vol12/iss1/7 DOI: 10.7825/2164-6279.1205 6 Narayanan: Y51K and Still Counting: Some Hindu Views of Time Y51K and Still Counting 21

truction and recreation. Experienced time is Notes also heterogeneous; the yugas indicate whether they are good or corrupt, and 1. J. A B. van Buitenen. The Mahabharata calendrical time is categorized as pure, the Book of the Forest, trans!. (University of auspicious, or inauspicious. Such categor­ Chicago Press, 1973-78) pp. 586-88. ization is an integral part of Hindu 2. 1.7.41-43; and 6.3.2-; worldviews, giving shape and meaning to Purana 368.1-2. H. H. Wilson, trans, The Vishnu Purana (Calcutta: Punthi Pustak, one's day, week, fortnight, month and solar 1961). period. 3. For a discussion of this destruction, see P. V. Kane, History of Dharmasastra (Poona: Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, 1974) p. 694. 4. Kane, History ofDharmasastra, p.641

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