Aryabhata and Jain Yuga system

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The following is a small article on Aryabhata and the Jain Yuga system. Hope you will like it.

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Aryabhata and Jain Yuga system

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This essay is my effort to

understand the idea put forward by Chandrahari that Aryabhata was a Jain, and

the text Aryabhateeya reflects the Astronomical understanding and Yuga system

followed by the Jain community. He has written some very good articles on the

same, which are scholarly and much informative than this simple effort to

understand the same. I thank him for guiding my thoughts in this

direction. Since my understanding of Jain

tradition and of astronomy is very limited, this essay may contain mistakes,

please pardon my ignorance if you find one.

 

The 9th sloka in the 3rd chapter of

Aryabhateeya states-

Utsarpini Yugartham Paschadapasarpini Yugardham cha

Madhye Yugasya sushama Adavante dushamenduchaat

Meaning, the first half of a Yuga is Utsarpini and the

second half is Apasarpini. Sushama is the middle of the Yuga and Dushama is the

start and end of the Yuga. All the calculations related to Yuga must be done

considering the Apogee of Moon.

What

attracts our attention is that this Utsarpini, Apasarpini divisions of Yuga and

all this Sushama, Dushama divisions are not related to Hindu system of time

division, but a Jain system! For clarity I am providing the details of these

divisions below-

 

Jains believe that in certain

areas of the occupied universe (loka-akasa), time is cyclical, and living

conditions improve and decline. For human beings, there is a gradual increase

in knowledge, length of life span, stature, pleasure, morality, and

spirituality during the progressive half of the cycle (utsarpini) and a

decrease in these during the regressive half of the cycle (apasarpini).

Together these two half cycles constitute a complete cycle of time (kalpa).

These two half cycles last for a vast, but finite, number of years and follow

each other in unbroken succession. There is no period of demanifestation

(pralaya) and re-creation at the end of these cycles. However, after an

uncountable (asamkhyata) number of progressive and regressive cycles, there is

an abnormal regressive cycle called hudavasarpini, when extraordinary events

take place.

The

regressive half of the cycle is divided into six stages: (1) extremely happy

(sushama-sushama), (2) happy (sushama), (3) more happy than unhappy

(sushama-dushama), (4) more unhappy than happy (dushama-sushama), (5) unhappy

(dushama), (6) extremely unhappy (dushama-dushama). These six stages are

reversed for the progressive half of the cycle. Liberation (moksha) is possible

only during the third and fourth stages of these half-cycles, when there is not

an abundance of either happiness or unhappiness.

The

continents of Bharata-kshetra (where we are said to live) and Airavata-kshetra

experience cyclical time. We are currently in the fifth or unhappy (dushama)

stage of regressive cycle that is a hundavasarpini. It began less than three

years after the death of Mahavira, the 24th and final Tirthankara of

the era. Thus, liberation is not possible for humans who are born here at this

time. However, there is a continent called Mahavideha were liberation is always

possible because time is not cyclical and conditions are always suitable for

the birth of Tirthankaras

[Extract from `The A

to Z of Jainism]

 

The following points should be

noted-

 

Kalpa

is the big division (complete cycle) and Yuga is its subdivision of Kalpa.

 

Note the following points –

 

The

Yuga is composed on one Utsarpini half and another Apasarpini half. The

first half is Utsarpini and the second half Apasarpini.The

Utsarpini half is composed of 6 subdivisions the first of which is

Dushama-Dushama.. The Apasarpini half is composed of 6 subdivisions the

first of which is Sushama-Sushama and ends with a Dushama-Dushama. That is

why `Sushama' is at the middle of Yuga as per Aryabhata, and Dushama at

the beginning and end. In total the current Yuga is composed of 12

subdivisions such as-Utsarpini

half

 

1. Dushama

– Dushama

2. Dushama

3. Dushama-Sushama

4. Sushama-Dushama

5. Sushama

6. Sushuma-Sushuma

 

Apasarpini

half

 

7. Sushuma-Sushuma

8. Sushama

9. Sushama-Dushama

10. Dushama-Sushama

11. Dushama

12. Dushama –

Dushama

As per the above

note the current Apasarpini half of current Yuga is a Hundavasarpini, meaning,

extraordinary events, which are usually bad, can take place, in this period.

 

Since

from this it is evident that Aryabhata is a Jain, he has nothing to do

with the Hindu system of Yuga calculation. Wherever he mentions Yuga he is

speaking about the Jain system of Yuga division.

 

Now look at the following sloka present in Aryabhatiya – 5th

sloka in Chapter 1.

Kaho Manavo dha manuyugaH sakha gataste cha manuyuga

Chana cha

Kalpader yuga pada ga cha gurudivasacha, Bharatat purvam

Meaning – One Kalpa is composed of 14 Manuvantaras. In each

Manuvantara there is 72 Mahayugas. In this Kalpa 6 Manuvantaras and 27 ¾

Mahayugas are gone. This current Yuga, started with Bhaarata in a Thursday.

Note the

following points -

 

The

`current Yuga' mentioned here is not Kali Yuga, but the current Yuga as

per Jain system.Chandra

hari says that, since Jains have nothing to do with Mahabharata war and

the hindu system of time division based on Kali yuga, the word `Bhaarata'

should not be interpreted as `Maha bhaarata war' but instead read

currently as `Bharata', the Son of Rishabha deva the first Theerthankara.

Since Bharata was a great Jain king (Chakravarti) who ruled India it would

be natural that the beginning date of this Yuga coincide with the date on

which Bharata became the king. It might be Bharata who started this system

of Yuga calculation, or it is also possible that somebody else started

this system, taking the date on which Bharata came to power as the

starting date. Rishabha

deva is mentioned even in Vedas and thus the date of Rishabha and his son

Bharata could go back even to BC

2000 or BC 3000.Of

course the questions `What is the length of Kalpa as per Jain belief?',

`What is the length of Yuga as per Jain belief?', `What is the length of a

subdivision such as Sushama etc as per Jain belief?' etc are interesting

and thought provoking questions, the answers for which the readers can

search in texts. [You can derive answers to most of these question from

Aryabhateeya itself]

 

Do you want to know more about

King Bharata? The following extract may help –

 

Bharata –

the eldest son of Rishbaha, the first Tirthankara of this era, and his wife

sumangala. When Rishabha renounced the household life, he appointed Bharata to

succeed him as king. At the time that his father attained omniscience

(kevala-jnana), a special weapon (chakra) appeared in his armory, a sign that

he had become the first universal emperor (Chakravartin) of this era. …Svetambaras believe that he attained

omniscience after the death of Rshabha without having first renounced the

household life, but Diganmbaras believe that he renounced prior to attaining

omniscience. According to the Digambara Mhapurana, he and Rishabha are the last

patriarchs (kulakaras) of this era.

[Extract from `The A

to Z of Jainism']

Aryabhata tells us that the

current Yuga (as per Jain system) began 3600 years prior to Aryabhata's 23rd

birth day. The 10th sloka in 3rd chapter of Aryabhateeya

which state the same is given below-

Shashtyabdanam shashtir yada

vyeteetastrayascha yuga padaH

Tryadhika vimsatirabda stadeha

mama janmanoneetaH

Meaning when 60 times 60 years are

gone, when the 3 quarters of the Yuga elapsed, It was my 23rd birth

day.

Note that when 3600 years elapsed after the

current Yuga beginning (No! Not Kali yuga) Aryabhata was of 23 years of Age. It

is said that Aryabhateeya is written in AD 499. That is the Yuga as per Jain

tradition began on BC 3102. Earlier he told us that it was a Thursday and in

the 11th sloka of 3rd chapter of Aryabhateeya he tells us

that it was a Suklapaksha Pratipada of the lunar month of Chaitra.

Note the following points –

 

The

Yuga calculation is based on the 60 year cycles Out of

12 subdivisions of Yuga starting with a Dushama-Dushama subdivision, 3

quarters elapsed says Aryabhata. 3 x 4 =12. Therefore 3 quarters elapsed

means, 9 such subdivisions elapsed (as on AD 499) and Aryabhata was living

in the 10th subdivision which is Dushama-Sushama of the Apasarpini

half of the Yuga. The

above quote also help us in finding out the span of a single sub division

such as Sushama etc. As per Aryabhata 9 such subdivisions elapsed in 3600

years. 3600/9 = 400 years. Thus the span of a Yuga (composed of Utsarpini and

Apasarpini half) mentioned by Aryabhata would be 400 x 12 = 4800

years! Aryabhata is truly speaking

about a comprehensible history, and the big numbers used in his text was

just for calculation purpose!Note

that, apart from the 60-year cycle, the Jain Yuga division integrates this

400-year cycle as well.It

seems that a further study of Jain system of Yuga calculation, calendar

system and Aryabhateeya could reveal much information in this direction.

Let us restate our list of subdivisions with in a Yuga and try to

understand the period they notate. (My understanding of the span of Jain

Yuga could be wrong. In an effort to understand the above sloka I am

applying the derived span of 400 years each of those subdivisions to see

the result. Carry on with your own studies to get a clear and correct

picture)

 

o Utsarpini

half (BC 3102 to BC 702)

1. Dushama

– Dushama (BC 3102 to BC 2702)

2. Dushama

(BC 2702 to BC 2302)

3. Dushama-Sushama

(BC 2302 to BC 1902)

4. Sushama-Dushama

(BC 1902 to BC 1502)

5. Sushama

(BC 1502 to BC 1102)

6. Sushuma-Sushuma

(BC 1102 to BC 702)

o Apasarpini

half (BC 702 to AD 1698)

7. Sushuma-Sushuma

(BC 702 to BC 302)

8. Sushama

(BC 302 to AD 98)

9. Sushama-Dushama

(AD 98 to AD 498)

10. Dushama-Sushama

(AD 498 to AD 898)

11. Dushama (AD 989 to AD 1298)

12. Dushama –

Dushama (AD 1298 to AD 1698)

If this is the case, stating that Aryabhata is

speaking about Kali Yuga or trying to ascertain the year of Mahabharata war

(sic) based on the same is nothing but total stupidity. Why should Aryabhata

speak about Mahabharata war, in a text on astronomy?! Mahabharata war does not

have any astronomical significance as far as the Jain calendar or the Yuga

system is concerned. It is stupid even to imagine so! If not stupid, it should be termed only as a

willful effort to corrupt the system, and steal it from the Jains in favor of

Hindu system, possibly done by the corrupted brahmanic parasites who want to

live without doing a work, and argue that every knowledge is given to them by

god – while the actual job being parasites contaminating the true knowledge

with their interpolations and distortions.

Alas!

It is solely based on the above sloka of Aryabhata that the date of Mahabharata is located as BC 3102, assuming that Aryabhata is

speaking about Mahabharata war and Kali Yuga!. All wrong assumptions! Since Aryabhata system of Yuga has nothing to do with

Hindu system of Yuga division and Mahabharata war, or Kali yuga it turns out

that BC 3102 is the year in which Bharata the son of Rishabha deva came into

power! Since Rishabha deva is mentioned in Vedas itself, and since the Vedas

are dated to the 3rd or 4th millennium BC it is

historically possible as well! Let the seekers who try to locate the literary

poetic imaginative description of Vyasa about the Mahabharata war in history

look somewhere else to fix the beginning date of Kaliyuga. This sloka of

Aryabhata is not going to help them in anyway!

Aryabhata is not interested in

helping you out in fixing the date of Mahabharata war, if at all some such

thing ever took place. Of course he is speaking about a calender with its

beginning date for a particular yuga in BC 3102, but that Yuga is the

`Utsarpini-Apasarpini Yuga', which is a Yuga of the current Kalpa. Kalpa,

Mahayuga, Manvantara etc are all imaginative numbers with a purpose and the

earliest historical date that is mentioned and got associated with it is the

date on which king Bharata (son of Rishabha deva) came into power which falls

on BC 3102. Therefore this Jain system of Yuga calculation might have came into

place BC 3102 itself, or on later date after Mahaveera. Since the history of

Jain religion is tightly integrated with Theerthankara Rishabha deva, the

originator of Jain religion, and his son Bharata who propagated this knowledge,

fixing or associating the starting date of the current Yuga with Bharata was

just natural consequence. Yes, the whole Yuga system presented by Aryabhata is

nothing but `back calculation'. Aryabhata himself indicate this in the

following words -

Kaloyamanadyanto

grahabhairanumeeyate khetre

(Sloka 11 chapter 3

Aryabhateeya)

Meaning, Time is endless, we just imagine and measure them

based on movement of planets. (Indicating that the apart form the above

mentioned start date of current Yuga, no other bigger numbers associated with

has any historical or factual basis).

It is just for the purpose of

understanding the rhythm of the solar system that the system of coinciding

longitudes of planets at the beginning of Yuga etc is proposed. Possibly this

proposal cannot be of Aryabhata himself, but one came down to him through Jain

tradition.

Note -1: Only a detailed search into the calendar

system, Kalpadi time divisions, Astronomical knowledge and tradition followed

by Jains, a through study and re-look at

Aryabhateeya and scrutiny of the life and works of Aryabhata will clarify many

doubts this article may generate. Such a study is sure to provide innovative

information, erasing many established erroneous notions.

Note -2: Thanks to RK Das ji for providing the book

`The A to Z of Jainism'. Hope he, my good friend, would be pleased by this

result (I mean, this article) came on the next day of giving that book to me by

him. J

- Sreenadh OG

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Love,

Sreenadh