Cycles of time called Yugas: common Jaina and Vedic Heritage

May 30, 2009

http://sites. google.com/ site/kalyan97/ jyotisha- -astronomy

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civilization has progressed in cycles matching with glacial cycle of the world.

Glaciations destroyed the northern hemispheres and center of power shifted to

equatorial regions. Glacial floods made temperate climate more suitable and

power shifted north wards. However, India,

being bound in north by HimÄlaya remained protected from devastation and

maintained long continuity of civilization. The geographical protection gave

matching nature of the population to preserve ancient wisdom and tradition. The

unification and foundation of knowledge gave rise to Vedas which are collected

wisdom of Å—ÅŸis for at least 26,000

years. Its scientific explanation as per branch of knowledge and language of

current time was by Jaina texts,

whose tradition was maintained by munis.

In general, same persons were called Å—ÅŸi as

well as muni. Thus, the two

traditions are since time immemorial in India and are complementary. Bauddha system of verbal logic is base

of all texts explained in words. Mechanical science, farming, trade, and rules

of govt. etc. are based on ChÄrvÄka

were also part of both. There has been many cycles of time called yugas. Micro to largest time cycle have

two opposing parts called avasarpiÅ†Ä«

(descending) and utsarpiÅ†Ä«

(ascending). However, historic cycle is of 24,000 years in 2 parts, called a

day of human BrahmÄ, or KalpÄbda. 10th part of each is kali, avasarpiÅ†Ä« starts with satya,

tretÄ, dvÄpara, kali, It is followed by

utsarpiÅ†Ä« of 12000 years in reverse order with kali. At present we are running in 3rd KalpÄbda. whose kali had

started in 3102 BC. TretÄ of utsarpiÅ†Ä« has started in 1999 AD. By

mixing up with large time-scales of astronomy, we have given up to 1016

years life period to Å–ÅŸabhadevajÄ«,

which is more than life of sun itself. We feel disrespect in reducing the

number or similar ages of other great men. Their greatness is not in having

life span of million times that of earth, but in achieving world consciousness

in normal life and uplifting mankind. This article attempts to outline Jain and

Vedic traditions from 61,902 B, based on PurÄÅ†a

calender.

1.Time Scales - Åšatapatha

BrÄhmaÅ†a (12/3/2/5) defines svedÄyana

equal to 15-8 parts of a day, i.e. about 11,20,000 parts of a

second, and (10/4/4/2) links the number of lomagartta

(= 15 svedÄyana) in a year (1012)

with number of stars in galaxy. Its image is human brain having same number of

cells. Smallest time has been defined in BhÄgavata

purÄÅ†a (chapter 3/16) as the time taken by light ray in crossing smallest

length. Starting from man of about 1.35 meter (average of length, breadth)

size, smaller worlds are smaller in ratio of 10-5 up to 7 levels (DhyÄnavindu upaniÅŸad, 4). Thus, the

smallest world is of 1.35 x 10-35 meters. This is called Planckâ€™s

length. Light will take 10-43 seconds to cross it, which is called

Planckâ€™s time in modern physics. Jaina texts also define similar micro units.

To the largest end, astronomical yuga

is of 12,000 divya years, where a divya year is of 360 solar years (SÅ«rya siddhÄnta, chapter 1). This is the

period in which planets up to Saturn at 1000 sun diameters make integral number

of revolution. That gives rise to cycles of reversal of magnetic poles and

motion of geographical poles (also viewed as continental shift).1000 such yugas make 1 kalpa or day of BrahmÄ in

space. This period of 4.32 billion years is the period up to which planetary

motion is expected to remain. In this period, earth will cover distance in its

orbit equal to circumference of galaxy (SÅ«rya

siddhÄnta, chapter 12). Night of

BrahmÄ is of same period. 30 day-nights make 1 month and 12 months (+5 = 365

days) make 1 year. 100 years of life of BrahmÄ

is equal to 1 nimeÅŸa (twinkling of

eye. For man, it is taken as 4/45 seconds) of ViÅŸÅ†u.100 years life of ViÅŸÅ†u

is 1 day of Åšiva, and his 100 years

are 1 nimeÅŸa of Åšakti. These time scales are

similar to estimates of half life of proton-decay which is still a wild guess.

In the present Kalpa of 4.32 billion years, 6 manvantaras

of 71 yugas and 7 sandhyÄ, each of 1 satya-yuga of 1728,000

years have passed. In the 7th manvantara,

27 yugas have passed. In 28th

yuga, Satya, tretÄ, dvÄpara were completed on 17/18-2-3102 BC Ujjain midnight. Then, kali of 432000 years has started. This comes to 1,97,31,44,000

years of the total day of BrahmÄ of

432 crore years. After deducting

47400 x 360 years spent in creation, it is 1,95,58,80,000 years till start of kali.

Sri Vasudeo Poddar in his book-ViÅ›va

ki KÄla YÄtrÄ- has assumed that two-day nights of Brahma of 864 crore years each have passed and it is the time in

3rd day. Thus, the total time passed is about 1926 crore years. This tally with

the modern estimates of 10 to 25 billion years life of cosmos. Third day of BrahmÄ has been indicated in-BhaviÅŸya pu, pratisarga (1/1/3), Yajurveda (12/75), Å–gveda (10/97/1), BrahmÄÅ†Äa

(1/2/6/5-9, 16, 51, 52, 61, 70, 76) and (2/3/1/8). Ä€ryabhaÅ£a has taken 1 kalpa

of 14 manvantaras of 72 yugas each, i.e. 1 kalpa =1008 yugas. He

takes 4 equal part-yugas each of

10,80,000 years. Here also, kali

started on 17-2-3102 BC.

However, historic yuga is also of 12,000 divya

years, but here divya year means 1

solar year. This is clear from VÄyu purÄÅ†a

(57/17, 99/419) where saptarÅŸi

vatsara is stated to be 3030 mÄnuÅŸa (human)

years or of 2700 divya years at

another place. ManuÅŸya (man) has mana

(mind) which is an image of moon as per PuruÅŸa-sÅ«kta

(7). So MÄnuÅŸa year is 12 rotation of

moon around earth = 12 x 27 = 324 days. Divya

also means bright, and it is due to sun. Thus solar year can be called divya year of 365.25 days. Assuming

these figures, 3030 mÄnuÅŸa years =

2717 solar years. 17 (or 18) extra years have been indicated as sansarpa kÄla (ChandrÄvadÄna KÄla-Tantra, by Chandrakanta Bali, page 76).

Similarly, Dhruva-year (in BrahmÄÅ†Äa purÄÅ†a 1/1/2/29/18) called KrauÃ±cha

year (in VÄyu purÄÅ†a 57/18) is of

9,090 mÄnuÅŸa years or 8100 solar years. Thus, we take

24,000 years of historic yuga with

first half of 12,000 years avasarpiÅ†Ä«

starting with satya, tretÄ, dvÄpara, kali. Second half utsarpiÅ†Ä«

is in reverse order of yugas. In this

also, 3rd day is running with kali of

avasarpiÅ†Ä« starting on 17/18-2-3102

BC Ujjain

midnight.

The 3rd day of BrahmÄ started with Vaivasvata

Manu from whom Satya yuga

started. His father VivasvÄn had

started this system in SÅ«rya siddhÄnta

(VivasvÄn and SÅ«rya - both mean sun). Thus, period of VivasvÄn is 4800 + 3600 + 2400 = 10,800 years before 3102 BC i.e.

in 13,902 BC. His calendar started with Chaitra month bright half when sun

enters MeÅŸa sign (now at time of

spring equinox). MahÄbhÄrata, vana parva

chapter 230 tells that KÄrttikeya had

started year from DhaniÅŸÅ£hÄ (Î²

Delphini) star after pole had shifted from Abhijit

(Vega) star in about 15,800 BC. Since year started with rains (varÅŸÄ), it was called varÅŸa. That tradition of starting year

with rains when sun started southward motion was continued from earlier

tradition of Asuras who were supreme

before KÄrttikeya. Till today, SÅ«rya siddhÄnta calls it Asura day. This yuga system did not exist in period of BrahmÄ, so satya yuga did

not start with him, he was in earlier (Ädya)

tretÄ (VÄyu purÄÅ†a 9/46, 31/3, 33/5).

2. Historic cycles - For history, Matsya purÄÅ†a (129/76, 77), tells that after SvÄyambhuva Manu there were 43 yugas

till Vaivasvata Manu. BhaviÅŸya purÄÅ†a, pratisarga parva (1/4/26)

tells this period as 16,000 years. Thus, each yuga here is only of 360 years-called a divya year in astronomy. Divya-day

(translated as BaÉ–Ä-dina) starts with northward motion of sun,

which was originally meant to be start of Julian calendar year in 46 BC, but

people started after 7 days to coincide with start of PauÅŸa dark half of Vikrama year

10. The start of north motion was termed KÅ—ÅŸÅ†a

mÄsa (Chris-mas) as night is longest on that day in north hemisphere..

These texts also mention 28 yugas or

10,000 (360 x 28 = 10,080) or more correctly 10,800 years after Vaivasvata Manu-till Kali start when PurÄÅ†as were finalized by Veda-VyÄsa

(KÅ—ÅŸÅ†a DvaipÄyana). Combining

both, BrahmÄÅ†É–a

purÄÅ†a (1/2/9/36, 37)

tells that 26,000 years or 71 yugas

(called manvantara, historic one)

have passed from SvÄyambhuva Manu

till kali start.

In historic cycle also, 24,000 years period

has been called BrahmÄbda in BhaviÅŸya purÄÅ†a, pratisarga parva ,

(91/1/3) and AyanÄbda yuga in VÄyu purÄÅ†a (31/29). Thus, there are two

complementary cycles-

(1)

26,000 years of 71 yugas of 360 years

each (more correctly, of 365 years equal to days in solar year.

(2)

24,000 years in 2 halves- avasarpiÅ†Ä«

of 12000 years starting with satya, tretÄ, dvÄpara, kali-of 4,3,2,1 parts, followed by utsarpiÅ†Ä« is in reverse order of yugas.

26,000

years is the period of precession of earthâ€™s axis, called ayana-chakra in Indian astronomy. From position of equinox point or

of solstices, we can verify the yuga

mathematically. Civil yuga is the

real cycle of glacial periods which is a combination of rotation of major axis

of earthâ€™s orbit in about 1,00,000 years and precession of equinoxes in 26,000

years in reverse direction. When earth is at apogee (highest point of earthâ€™s

orbit) or is farthest from sun, it gets least heat. Combined with that, if the

north-pole is inclined away from sun, glaciation sets in. When north-pole is

towards sun at apogee, then there will be glacial flood. Thus, glacial cycle

will be joint effect of the two cycles, as propounded by Milancovich of

Czechoslovakia in 1923. That comes to 21,600 year cycle-...Thanks & Regards,Sudhir SrinivasanB.Arch, Dip.ID, Dip.CAD, Dip.PM,AIIA, IIID, ARIAI| Ex Architect | M: +353-87-285 9086 |