Alpakala(m) & Manvantara(m): Reading the Puranic Encyclopaedia
A few days back I stumbled upon this extraordinary compilation titled, “Puranic Encyclopaedia: A Comprehensive Dictionary with Special Reference to the Epic and Puranic Literature” by Vettam Mani (thanks to Geeta). Today, I finally found some time to “browse” through its 900+ pages….Below, two delightful snippets from the volume…Enjoy (emphasis added)..
ALPAKALA(M). A short time. (Alpa = short and Kala= time). In the Bhagavata the following definition is given of alpakala :
Take two tender leaves of a lotus and place one on the other. Let a strong man take a sharp needle and thrust it hard at the leaves. The time taken for the needle to pierce one leaf and reach the other is alpakala.
[Bhagavata (Malayalam version), Skandha 3].
MANVANTARA(M).
Human year (Manusya varsa) and Divine year (Deva varsa): When two leaves are placed one over the other and they are pierced by a needle, the time required for the needle to pass from the first leaf to the second is called “Alpakala”. Thirty such alpakalas make one “Truti”. Thirty trutis make one “Kala”. Thirty Kalas make one “Kastha”, which is also known as “Nimisa”, “Noti” or “Matra”. Four “Nimisas” make one “Ganita”. Ten Ganitas, one “Netuvlrppu”. Six netu-virppus, one “Vinazhika”. Sixty vinazhikas one “Ghatika”. Sixty ghatikas one day (day and night together) . Fifteen days, one “Paksa”. Two Paksas, one “Candra masa” v lunar month) . One Candramasa for human beings is one “ahoratra” (one day and night making up one full day) for the pitrs. Twelve Candra masas make one year for human beings. One year for human beings is one ahoratra for the gods. Three hundred ahoratras of gods make one “Deva Vatsara” or “Divya vatsara”. 4,800 divyavatsaras make one Krta- yuga. 3,600 divyavatsaras make one Tretayuga, 2,400 divyavatsaras make one Dvaparayuga. 1,200 divya- vatsaras make one Kaliyuga. 12.000 divyavatsaras comprising a set of Krta, Treta. Dvapara and Kaliyugas make one Caturyuga. A Manu’s period is completed at the end of 71 Caturyugas.
With that, the first group of gods also comes to an end. At the end of fourteen such Manus, one “Kalpa” is over and a deluge takes place. The whole of this period comprises one night for Brahma. Night is the time of complete inactivity. With the end of the night, creation is started again. When 360 such ahoratras of Brahma are completed, he completes one year. After completing 120 such years, a Brahma perishes. Again a period of absolute inactivity follows for the length of a Brahma’s life-span. After a period of 120 Brahma varsas (the life-span of a Brahma) another Brahma comes into being.
The life-span of Brahma is shown in the following tabular form :
360 days for gods One Deva vatsara.
12,000 Deva vatsaras 1 caturyuga (36 lakhs years for human beings) .
71 caturyugas 1 Manvantaram (One Manu’s life-span) .
14 Manvantaras 1 Kalpa (one day time for Brahma )
2 Kalpas One day (and night) for Brahma. (Ahoratra)
360 days of Brahma 1 Brahma Varsa
120 Brahma Varsas One Brahma’s life-span.
This life-span of one Brahma is therefore 30 crores 9 lakhs 17 thousands 376 hundreds of years of human beings.
Next instalment: “Kalamana“. Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I did.
Somewhat Related: Reading the Bhagavad Gita… and Reading the MahABhArat: Yaksha Prashna
Fascinating. I’m overwhelmed. I’m downloading the “Puranic Granth”.
Dhanyawad Shantanu.
Jai Bharat!
Great Awesome !
34,000TH of a Second To 4.32 Billion Years
Indian has given the idea of the smallest and largest measure of time.
Krati = 34,000th of a second
1 Truti = 300th of a second
2 Truti = 1 Luv
2 Luv = 1 Kshana
30 Kshana = 1 Vipal
60 Vipal = 1 Pal
60 Pal = 1 Ghadi (24 minutes)
2.5 Ghadi = 1 Hora (1 hour)
24 Hora = 1 Divas (1 day)
7 Divas = 1 Saptah (1 week)
4 Saptah = 1 Mas (1 month)
2 Mas = 1 Rutu (1 season)
6 Rutu = 1 Varsh (1 year)
100 Varsh = 1 Shatabda (1 Century)
10 Shatabda = 1Sahasrabda
432 Sahasrabda = 1 Yug (kaliyug)
2 Yug = 1 Dwaparyug
3 Yug = 1 Tretayug
4 Yug = 1 Krutayug
10 Yug = 1 Mahayug (4,320,000 years)
1000 Mahayug = 1 Kalpa
1 Kalpa = 4.32 billion years.
extract from article “Understanding Hinduism” in esamskriti.
(Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Neasden, London).
Courtesy and Copyright Swaminarayan Aksharpith.
The age of the universe as predicted by science broadly falls in the range of that described by our Puranas. Not to forget that scientist’s calculations are based on many assumptions, and hey have not, nor will, be able to determine the exact age.
Everybody enjoys such readings.But does anybody bother as to what implications it has for human beings? Hardly few.
I believe one of the foremost implication is to make the man at least believe the ‘Shastra’ , if he cannot understand it.
It does has the scientific implications. But who will make effort at it?
Shastras are outdated or unscientific? unless and until the present intelligentisa settle this issue, its reading or simillar reading will render it just a timepass or exciting entertainment. That’s all!!
I have a comment on interpreting the Gita. Most commentators misinterpret it.
I believe no action can be performed by an ordinary human without expectation of rewards.But the difference arises when the reward is not as per expectation. A normal human will be dejected at rewards being below expectation but a wise man will not grieve. That is what the meaning of Gita is when it calls for action without attachment to fruits thereof.
The whole idea of rebirth means that any action whatsoever will always have its good or bad reward. So there is no question of “no reward”; it is only when and how.
This is *fascinating*!
I just love how everything in our shastras is so precise! The understanding of time in all the different realms and for the different beings in the universe always blows me away.
Jai
Shantanu,
I hope you are not encouraging the reading of this so called ‘puranic encyclopedia’. It was written by a malayali christian whose intentions are suspicious.
Sample this from the 748th page on Subrahmanya.
“After the killing of Tarakasura Subrahmanya became the object of too much of petting by Parvati with the result that his life became unbridled and wayward. His lust was everyday on the increase and he committed even rape on Deva women, who were ultimately forced to complain about him to Parvati”.
So Mani makes Subrahmanya a rapist! Similarly there are many descriptions of other deities which are absurd and offensive.
@Dharmayudh: Thanks for alerting me to this bordering on blasphemous (if it is not already past the line) description…I will also mention this as an update to the original post.
Once again, thanks for being so alert – and for taking the trouble to write to me.
@ B Shantanu
You are welcome. Please go through the description of Siva and Vishnu. I am not denying the fact that Vettam Mani has gone through a lot of pain in documenting all these. But, quoting even irrelevant Puranas while describing a particular deity only brings confusion to the mind of the Bhakta. My main disagreement with the book is its structure. While describing each deity, he has given various subtitles like “Daring deeds of Siva, Vishnu lila (Vishnu’s sports)” and so on. This is nothing but reducing the Trimurtis to mere mortals. Somebody should tell him that Puranas should not be taken literally. Hope you can do a full post showing the danger in taking the literal meaning of Puranas. Now that the book is translated to English, ‘scholars’ like Wendy Doniger can quote easily from this to give colour to their pet theories. I find it hilarious that while describing Vishnu’s family life Mani says “Vishnu has no legitimate children”.
I know that it is hard to refute each and every point of such a big book. But reading the definition of the Brahma, Vishnu and Siva will give you enough points to expose Mani’s evil intentions. Hoping to see a full post on this.
Dharmayudh: I will certainly have a closer look and hope to write a rebuttal at some point…Right now, badly tied up in work and a few other things…
I hope to find some time in a few weeks. Thanks
Posting this here for the record:
Yuga and mahayuga in Hindu time-reckoning
Yuga is used in three contexts and achieving three levels of precision in Hindu calendrical or astronomical computations:
Yuga: Reckoning real (or, elapsed) time: yuga refers to a duration of 12,000 years
Pankta yuga: Reckoning auspicious time for performance of yajña: Pankta yuga refers to a duration of five years
Mahayuga: Reckoning astronomical computational time: mahayuga refers to a duration of 4,320,000 years.
Yuga (in the Mahabharata and the Manava Dharma sastra) has a total duration of 12,000 years. Yuga is divided into four parts: K?ta,Treta, Dvapara, and Kali, with lengths of duration in the ratio 4:3:2:1
More info here:
http://www.docstoc.com/docs/82582238/Yuga-and-m%C4%81h%C4%81yuga-in-Hindu-time-reckoning
http://bharatkalyan97.blogspot.com/2011/06/yuga-and-mahayuga-in-hindu-time.html