Journal of Hindu-Christian Studies Volume 12 Article 7 January 1999 Y51K and Still Counting: Some Hindu Views of Time Vasudha Narayanan Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.butler.edu/jhcs Part of the Religion Commons 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". ritual conducted in Hindu brahmanical The first is the large expanses of measuring modes, the officiating priest and those doing time, something that the early Sanskrit the ritual formally declare the co-ordinates Puranas and the epic Mahabharata 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 times - 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 kalpa (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 god Brahma) 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 kali yuga 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 history 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 India, the Middle-East, and the Graeco­ the year is mentioned (many Hindu roman worlds, and the . depiction of time in calendars 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 circa 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 gods, 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 Vishnu or day of Brahma (kalpa), and his night is Shiva (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 Manu 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, Hindus complete the Manu or primeval man appears; he begins year 5100 of kali yuga 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 golden age (krta the perception of his followers), is to yuga) lasts 4,800 years of gods. This period incarnate himself as a person called Kalki, 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, dharma 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 yugas, 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 pralaya or the Saka era, 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 eras 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.