365bet娱乐

Puranic Theory of the Yugas and Kalpas鈥擜 Study [pauranika yugakalpa siddhantavisayako vimarsah] / By Sri Anand Swarup Gupta; All India Kashiraj Trust / 304-323

[ asmin nibandhe yuga- manvantara - kalpadinam pramana-samkhya svarupanam manusmrti - mahabharata- purana- jyautisadrstya vivecanam krtam | asya siddhantasya visaye sradhunikadrstya'pi kascid vicaro'tra krtah | yugadinam devavarsesu manam jyotisasiddhantagranyesu puranesu caivopalabhyate atra visaye pracinataram manam manusavarsesvevasidityapi pradarsitamatra | sahasracaturyuganamekah kalpah ityetavatyeva pracina managanana asit | yuga- manvantara kalpa ityanena kramena ganana tu prayah pauraniki, sa capi jyautisa - siddhantanibandhana | purananusarena suryasiddhantanusarena ca caturyuga manvantara-kalpamanasya tulanatmako vicaro'pi krtah | jyautisa puranadi-pracani matanusarena kalpasya manam pradarsya tadanusarena prthivya utpattya vartamanam kala-manam dattva, adhunika bhugarbha- vijnanadrstya'pi prthivyutpattya varttamanakala sucikaika talika'pyatra pradiyate | ] The Puranas have given the long computations of the Yugas and the Kalpas, in which they have divided the duration of the Universe (Brahmanda) both in its manifest and semi-manifest forms. The Puranas have conceived the Time or Kala as beginningless and endless, and so there is no break in the order of the creation, preservation and dissolution of the Universe, in other words, there is no break in the continuity of the universe in some form or the other; for, even in the Pralaya the universe is not totally destroyed, but merges into its unmanifest cause from which it emerged at the time of its creation, as says the Gita- avyaktadini bhutani vyaktamadhyani bharata | avyaktanidhananyeva tatra ka paridevana || (2.28) (Beings are unmanifest in their origin, manifest in the interval, and unmanifest in their end). The Visnu Purana puts this Puranic

July, 1969] PURANIC THEORY OF YUGAS AND KALPAS 305 truth of the continuity of the creation, preservation and dissolution of the universe in clear words :- anadirbhagavan kalo nanto'sya dvina vidyate | avyucchinnastatastvete sargasthityantasamyamah || (Vis.-P., I. 2.26) Thus the creation, preservation and dissolution (Srsti, Sthiti and Pralaya) go on taking place after each other in the fixed order and after fixed intervals like the day and night. The Puranas call the duration of the Universe in its manifest form (i. e. the time of its creation and preservation, or its Srstikala and Sthiti-kala) as a Kalpa which is regarded as the Day of Brahma, the Creator, on the analogy of the day of man when he is active. A Kalpa has been divided into 14 Manvantaras, and each Manvantara into 71 Catur-Yugas (a term generally used in the Puranas) or Daiva-Yugas (a term used in the Manu-Smrti) or Mahayugas (a term generally found used in the astronomical works). Each Mahayuga consists of four Yugas, viz. Krta-Yuga, (or Satya-Yuga), Treta-Yuga, Dvapara-Yuga and Kali-Yuga, of descending duration of the ratio of 4:3:2:1. Thus, the Krta-Yuga is of 4,000 divine years with a Sandhi of 400 divine years in the beginning and a Samdhyamsa of the similar length at the end, the Treta-Yuga is of 3,000 divine years with a Sandhi and a Samdhyamsa of 300 divine years each, the Dvapara-Yuga of 2,000 divine years with a Sandhi and Samdhyamsa of 200 divine years each and the Kaliyuga of 1000 divine years with a Sandhi and a Sandhyamsa of 100 divine years each. All these four Yugas (with their durations in the descending order, i. e. of 4000+400+400, 3000+300+300, 2000+200+200, 1000+100+100 divine years) make a Mahayuga of 12,000 divine years, each divine year being equal to 360 human years. This computation of the length of the four Yugas has been considered by some modern scholas as 'purely hypothetical"¹, 'extravagant' and 'gigantic". But considering the eternity and 1. A. D. Pusalker, Studies in the Epic and the Puranas, Introduction, p. lvi. 2. A. Cunningham, The Book of Indian Eras, p. 4. 3. K.D. Sethna, 'Megasthenes and Indian Chronology', Purana, X. 2 (July 1968) p. 131.

306 puranam - PURANA [Vol. XI, No. 2 infinity of the Time (Kala), no division of time, whatever may be its length, can properly be called as extravagant and gigantic. And according to the Indian philosophical conception, Time is one and indivisible and so any division of time by its very nature must be purely hypothetical and imaginary. It must be conceded, however, that this long computation of the Yugas as given in the Puranas may also be taken as representing the later Puranic view only, for the earliar view seems to favour a much smaller computation of the four Yugas. The Manu-Smrti gives the length of the four Yugas as follows:- catvaryahuh sahasrani varsanam tu krtam yugam | tasya tavacchati samdhya samdhyamsasca tathavidhah || itaresu sasamdhyesu sasamdhyamsesu ca trisu | ekapayena varttante sahasrani satani ca || yadetat parisamkhyatamadaveva caturyugam | etad dvadasasahasram devanam yugamucyate || ( 1.69-71) From these slokas it appears that the Manu-smrti gives the length of the four Yugas most probably in the human years and not in the divine years: for, firstly, it does not mention here these years as daiva (divine), and secondly, in the last loka (71) quoted above, four human Yugas ( 'manusam caturyugam ' kullu katika ) of the collective length of 12,000 years () are said to make a devanam yugam (Divine Yuga) and if these four Yugas are manusa (human), then the length of their duration might also have been intended as manusa. But following the Puranic view the commentator Kulluka remarks here that the number of the years of the duration of the four Yugas mentioned here is divine (varsasamkhya ceyam divyamanena tasyaivanantaraprakrtatvat ') The Mahabharata (Vana-Parva, 188.22-26, Nilakantha's text) gives also the length of the four Yugas which is similar to that given by the Manu-Smrti, but it (the Mbh.) does nowhere mention the years as divine. It does not even says that the four Yugas collectively make one divya Yuga; it simply mentions that the 12,000 years of the four Yugas are collectively called the yugakhya- esa dvadasasahasri yugakhya parikirttita | (27 cd)

July, 1969] PURANIC THEORY OF YUGAS AND KALPAS 307 But the Puranas clearly mention the years of the duration of the four Yugas as divya (divine); e. g.- divyairvarsasahasraistu krtatretadisamjnitam | caturyugam dvadasabhistadvibhagam nibodha me | catvari trini dve caikam krtadisu yathakramam | divyadvanam sahasrani yugesvahuh puravidah || tatpramanaih sataih samdhya purva tatrabhidhiyate | samdhyamsascaiva tattalyo yugasyanantaro hi sah || (Visnu P, I. 3. 12-14) krtam treta dvaparam ca kalisceti caturyugam | devairvarsasahasrastu tad dvadasabhirucyate || (Brahma. P., 229.5) This Puranic computation of the length of the four Yugas in the divine years seems to be a later elaboration, the earlier computation as given in the Manu-smrti and the Mahabharata being much smaller. But even the earlier Puranic view as represented by the Vayu-Purana ( 32.58 ff.) seems to favour the smaller computation in the human years. According to this Purana the Gaturynga (four Yugas taken collectively) of the length of 12,000 years has four Padas or quarters in the form of the four Yugas; thus- 1. Krta-yuga 4,800 years 2. Treta-yuga 3,600 years 3. Dvapara- yuga 2,400 years 4. Kali- yuga 1,200 years Prakriya-Pada Anusanga-Pada Upodghata-Pada Samhara-Pada The Purana is said to be also of the 12,000 slokas and to have the similar four Padas :- etad dvadasasahasram caturyugamiti smrtam | evam padaih sahasrani slokanam panca panca ca || samdhyasamdhyamsakaireva dve sahasre tathapare | evam dvadasasahasram puranam kavayo viduh || yatha vedascatuspadascatuspadam tatha yatha yugam catuspadam vidhatra catuspadam puranam tu brahmana yugam | vihitam svayam | vihitam pura || (Vayu-P. 32, 65-67) 14

308 puranam - PURANA [Vol. XI, No. 2 Here the 12,000 years of the Gatur-yuga and its four Padas are said to be corresponding with the 12,000 slokas and the four Padas of the Purana, which indicates that the computation of the four Yugas according to the Vayu Purana here is in the human years and not in the divine years. The context preceding these slokas also leads to the same conclusion, But later on the Puranas elaborated the computation of the length of the four Yugas, perhaps under the influence of the Siddhanta Jyotisa, and so the computation of the four Yugas in the human years was replaced by that in the divine years, which made a lot of difference. According to the earlier computation in the human years the length of a Catur-yuga was 12,000 years, while according to the later Puranic computation in divine years, the length of the Caturyuga comes to 43,20,000 (12,000*360) human years. A Cunningham in his 'Book of the Indian Eras' has suggested the source of this longer Puranic computation in divine years. According to him the present Puranic system of computation is the invention of the astronomers "which they based on their newly acquired knowledge of the precession". The precession of the equinoxes per year fixed by Parasara was 46.5 seconds and that by Arya-bhata was 46.2 seconds. Shri K. D. Sethna in his article 'Megasthenes and Indian Chronology' (Pub. in 'Purana ' X. 2) on the basis of these facts analyses this problem as follows: Given the precession, what would be the period of one revolution through the whole circle of the ecliptic of 360 degrees ? As 60 minutes make 1 degree and 60 seconds 1 minute , to cover the full circle of the ecliptic takes 1,296,000 (360 * 60 * 60) seconds 12,960,000 465 divided by 46.5 or 46.2. Then we get years, which by dividing them by three become 43,20,000 154 or 12,660,000 462 43,20,000 155 and years. The numerator is exactly the number of years which goes into a Mahayuga (or Caturyuga). And 43,20,000 years is the period in which the ecliptic would be circled 155 or 154 times. According to both the earlier view and the later Puranic view 1,000 Caturyugas go to make the length of the duration of

July, 1969] PURANIC THEORY OF YUGAS AND KALPAS 309 a Kalpa, i.e. the duration of the existence of the universe, which is also called Brahma's Day ( brahmahah ); cf. - daivikanam yuganam tu sahasram parisamkhyaya | brahmamekamaharjneyam tavati ratrireva ca || (Manu Smrti. 1.72) esa dvadasasahasri yugakhya parikirttita | etat sahasraparyantamaho brahmamudahrtam || (Mbh., Vana-P., 18828) krtam treta dvaparasca kaliscaiva caturyugam | procyate tatsahasram ca brahmano divasa mune || (Visnu-P., I. 3. 15) In the Nirukta and the Bhagavad-Gita the Caturyuga or the Mahayuga is simply called as the Yuga- 'yugasahasram ratristavetavahoratrava jasram parivartete '- 'tadetadaharyugasahasram ' sahasrayugaparyantamaharyadbrahmano Nirukta, 14. 4. viduh | ratrim yugasahasrantam te'horatravido janah || (Bhag.-Gita, 8. 17; Nirukta 14. 4) By the word 'Yuga' used by Yaska here Prof. Mankad in his work Puranic Chronology, remarks that "the designation (Caturyuga or Kalpa or Divya-yuga) employed by the Puranas for units of extreme length are replaced by one (i. e. Yuga) which Puranically means a lesser duration". But I think Yaska's yuga is the same as the Daiva Yuga of the Manu-Smrti or the Caturyuga of the Puranas, for the Manu-Smrti uses the term 'Yuga' as a synonym for its 'Daivika yuga' also ; cf. daivikanam yuganam tu sahasram parisamkhyaya | brahmamekamaharjneyam tavati ratrireva ca || 72 tadvai yugasahasrantam brahmam punyamaharviduh | ratri ca tavatimeva te'horatravido janah || 73 (Manu-Smrti, Adh. 1) Compare also the Vayu - Purana, 32, 67, quoted above, where the word Yuga is used for the Chatur-yuga.

310 puranam - PURANA YUGAS ASSOCIATED WITH DHARMA [Vol. XI, No. 2 The four Yugas are associated with dharma or moral virtues, and the dharma gradually decreases by one pada (quarter) from Krta to Kali. Thus, the dharma in the krta-Yuga is of all the four padas (i. e. in its entirety), in the Treta it loses its one pada and becomes of three padas only, and so on up to Kali-Yuga when its one pada only remains ; cf. the Manu Smrti 1. 81-82 :- catuspat sakalo dharmah satyancaiva krte yuge | nadharmenagamah kascinmanusyan prativarttate || itaresvagamad dharmah padasastvavarositah | caurikanrtamayabhirdharmascapaiti padasah || Thus, there is the gradual deterioration from Yuga to Yuga. The period of human age is also subject to this gradual deterioration. In the Krta yuga man lives for 400 300 years in the Dvapara 200 years and in the only : arogah sarvasiddharthascaturvarsasatayusah | krte tretadisu yesamayurhasati padasah || years, in the Treta Kali Yuga 100 years (Ibid., S 1. 83) This theory of the gradual deterioration in life from Yuga to Yuga is opposed to the modern theory of evolution. The dharma of each Yuga differs from the other. In the Krta tapas (austerity) in the Treta jnana (knowledge of Self), in the Dvapara rajna (Sacrificial cult) and in the Kali dana (charity) is the main dharma : anye krtayuge dharmastretayam dvapare pare anye kaliyuge nrnam yugahasanurupatah || tapah param krtayuge tretayam jnanamucyate | E dvapare yajnamevahurdanamekam kalau yuge || (Ibid., S1. 85-86) Human actions bear fruits according to the influence of a Yuga : - vedoktamayurmanamasisascaiva karmanam | phalantyanuyugam loke prabhavasca saririnam || (Ibid, S1. 84)

July, 1969] PURANIC THEORY OF YUGAS AND KALPAS 311 The same view of the gradual deterioration from Yuga to Yuga and different characteristics and dharma of the Yugas is held by the Puranas and the Epics also. According to the Vayu-Purana even the different gods are worshipped in the different Yugas.Brahma in the Krta, Yajna in the Treta, Visnu in the Dvapara and Mahadeva in the Kali: brahma krtayuge pujyastretayam yajna ucyate | dvapare pujyate visnuraham pujyascaturvapi || ( Vayu. P., 32. 21 ) Even the mode of worship differs from Yuga to Yuga-in the Krta dhyana (meditation) in the Treta worshipping by means of Yajnas, in the Dvapara arca or puja, and in the Kali the chanting and repetition of God's name bear similar fruits :- dhyayankrte yajanyajnaistretayam dvapare'rcayan | yadapnoti tadapnoti kalau samkirtya kesavam || MANVANTARAS (Visnu- P. VI. 2. 19.) Neither Yaska, nor the Gita, nor the Mbh. - Vana- Parva and nor even the Manu-Smrti in the slokas quoted above have inserted the computation of the fourteen Manvantaras within the frame of the scheme of computation of the Brahma-ahah (the Day of Brahma) or the Kalpa, although the Manu-smrti mentions seven Manus and their antaras or durations during which they created and protected the creatures:- svayambhuvasyasya manoh sadvamsya manavo'pare | srstavantah prajah svah sva mahatmano mahaujasah || 61 svarocisascattamiva tamaso raivatastatha | || caksusasca mahateja vivasvatsuta eva ca || 62 svayambhuvadyah saptaite manavo bhuritejasah | sve sve'ntare sarvamidamutpadyapuscaracaram || 63 || (Manu, Adh. 1 ) But in the Puranas as well as in the works of the SiddhantaJyotisa we have also the computation of the Manvantaras (the

312 puranam -- PURANA [Vol. XI, No. 2 periods of Manus), fourteen of which go to make the total period of a Kalpa or the Brahma-ahal (the Day of Brahma ) inserted between Yuga (i. e. the Mahayuga ) and Kalpa; cf. brahmano divase brahman manavastu caturdasa | bhavanti parimanam ca tesam kalakrtam srnu || 16 caturyuganam samkhyata sadhika hyekasaptatih | manvantaram manoh kalah suradinam ca sattama || 18 caturdasaguno hyesa kalo brahmamahah smrtam | brahmo naimittiko nama tasyante pratisancarah || 22 (Vispu-P., I. 3) caturyugasahasram tu kathyate brahmano dinam | sa kalpastatra manavascaturdasa dvijottamah || (Brahma-P., 231.12) So, according to the Visnu- Purana, a Manvantara (Manu's Period) consists of something more than 71 Catur-yugas ( sadhika hyeka- saptatih ) The commentator Sridhara explains the word sadhika as follows : - "caturyugasahasrapramanasya brahmadinasya caturdasadhavibhage prativibhagamekasaptatiscaturyu- gani bhavantih avasisyate caturyugasatkantarasya caturdasamso yathaganitah pratimanvantarameka- saptateradhika ityarthah ", Thus, as the Day of Brahma or Kalpa is equal to the 14 Manvantaras or 1000 Gaturyugas, a Manvantara actually is equal 6 to 7104 Caturyugas (for, 1000/14-71+4) The Surya-Siddhanta (the earliest available work on the Siddhanta-Jyotisa) makes this point of 'sadhika' more clear. In its computation of Yugas and Kalpas it says that after every Manvantara there is a Sandhi equal to the period of a Krta-Yuga (i. e. of 4800 years) and this Sandhi after each Manvantara is characterised by jala-plava (water-immersion or deluge), and there is also a Sandhi in the beginning of a Kalpa, which (Sandhi) is the fifteenth and is also of the length of the Krta-Yuga :- yuganam saptatih saika manvantaramihocyate | krtabdasamkhya tasyante samdhih prokto jalaplavah || sasamdhayaste manavah kalpe jneyascaturdasa krtapramanah kalpadau samdhih pancadasah smrtah || (Surya-Siddhanta, 1. 18-19)

July, 1969] PURANIC THEORY OF YUGAS AND KALPAS 313 Thus, the first Manvantara in a Kalpa has two Sandhis, one in the beginning and the other in the end, so there are 15 Manvantarasandhis of 4800 years each in a Kalpa, besides the 14 Manvantaras of 71 Caturyugas each. These 15 Sandhis (=4800 * 15 = 72,000 years or 6 Caturyugas) and the 14 Manvantaras (-71 x 14 = 994 Caturyugas, together make the total of 1000 Caturyugas. The conception of the 14 Manvantaras forming the duration of a Kalpa or the Day of Brahma is mainly Puranic. According to the Puranas a Manvantara is a period of 1000 14 6 14 or 71 Caturyugas and according to the Surya-sindhania, as quoted above, it is a period of 71 Mahayugas+4800 divine years as its Sandhi except the first Manvantara which is of the period of 71 Mahayugas+9600 divine years (the two Sandhis one in the beginning and the other at the end). Both these computations come to the same thing. Thus, according to this computation a Manvantara is a period of 8,52,000 divine years and 30,67,20,000 (12000 x 360 * 71+17,28000) mortal years 1 A Manvantara is named after its presiding deity called Manu who is in charge of the preservation and protection of the universe during his period. According to the Visnu-Purana (III. 1f.) out of the 14 Manvantaras of the present Kalpa six Manvantaras have already passed, viz.- 1. Svayambhuva (a), 2. Svarocisa (f), 3. Uttama (3), 4. Tamasa (a), 5. Raivata (a) and 6. Caksusa (caksusa ). The seventh called the Vaivasvata (a) is the present Manvantara and the seven future Manvantaras are as follows:- 8. Savarni (1) 9. Daksa-savarni (-a), 10. Brahma-savarni (-), or Meru-savarni (af) (Devi Bhag. X. 13. 26). 11. Dharma-savini (-) or Surya-savarni (f) (D. Bhag.) 1. Visnu-Purana I. 3. 19-21.

314 puranam - PURANA [Vol. XI, No. 2 12. Rudra-savarni (-) or Candra-savarni (-) (D. Bhag.) 13. Raucya () (= Ag. P., Adh. 150; Hariv. I. 7. 5) or Deva-savarni (-) (Bhag.-P. VIII. 13. 27) 14. Bhautya () (= Ag.-P.; Hariv.) or Indra-savarni (af) (Bhag.-P.) or Visnu-savarni (fay) (D. Bhag.) Of these future Manus the 8th is the son of Vivasvan (Sun) from his wife Chaya, and is therefore the step-brother of VaivasvataManu and resembles him, whence he is called Savarni (of the same varna or form). The next four Manus (9-12) are the sons of Priyavrata and the grandsons of Svayambhuva-Manu (the first Manu). According to the Harivamsa (I. 7. 6) these four Manus (9-12) are also called Meru-savarris, for they obtained the Manuhood by performing austerities on the Meru mountain (I- scatvaro brahmasavarnih, rudrasavarnih, merusavarnih, daksasavarnisca | ete merau tapah krtva siddhi prapta iti sarve'pi merusavarna ityucyante - nilakanthah ). Raucya is the son of Prajapati Ruci and Bhautya is the son of Bhuti. Each Manvantara has its own Saptarsis (Seven Sages), gods, Indra, Manu and his royal sons who are in charge of the protection of the world and are simultaneously created in the beginning and destroyed at the end of their Manvantara :- saptarsayah surah sakro manustatsunavo nrpah | ekakale hi srjyante samhriyante ca purvavat || In each Manvantara the Sattviki Sakti of Visnu is also incarnated in the form of his partial incarnation to help in the work of the protection of the universe. Below are given gods (in their ganas), Indra, part-incarnation of Visnu and principal Puranic episodes of each Manvantara according to the Visnu.-P. (III. 1-2) and the Bhag.-P. (VIII. 1-24):

July, 1969] PURANIC THEORY OF YUGAS AND KALPAS 315 Manvantara or Manu Ganas of Gods Indra Visnu's in- Episode relating carnation to 1, Svayambhuva Yamas ...... ? Yajna Kapila 2. Svarocisa 1. Paravatas Vipa- Vibhu scit 2. Tusitas 3. Uttama 1. Sudhamans Susanti Satyasena 4. Tamasa 5. Raivata 2. Satyas 3. Japas 4. Pratardanas 5. Vasavartins 1. Suparas Sibi Harime- 2. Haris 3. Satyas Gajendradhasa moksa 4. Sudhis 1. Amita- Vibhu Vaikuntha bhas 2. Bhutarayas 3. Vaikunthas 4. Sumedhas 6. Caksusa 1. Apyas Mano- Ajita 1. Samudra- 15 2. Prasutas java 3. Bhavyas 4. Prthukas 5. Lekhas manthana (churning of the ocean) and KurmaAvatara

316 puranam - PURANA [Vol. XI, No. 2 7. Vaivasvata 1. Adityas Puram- Vamana (Sraddha- 2. Vasus dara deva Manu) 3. Rudras 4. Visvedevas 5. Rbhus 6. Asvins 2. War between Gods and Asuras-Jambha Namuci etc. killed Bali-Vamana 8. Savarni 1. Sutapas Bali Sarvabhauma 9. DaksaDas asavarni 2. Amitabhas 3. Mukhyas 1. Paras Adbhu- Rsabha 2. Maricita garbhas 3. Sudharmans 10. Brahmasavarni 1. Sudhamans Santi (Vis-P) Visvaksena 2. Visuddhas or Sambhu (Bhag.) 11. Dharmasavarni 1. Vihangamas Vrsa (Vis. P.) Dharmasetu Vaidhrta 2. Kamagamas 3. Nirvana (Bhag.) ratas 12. Rudra- 1. Haritas Rtasavarni 2. Rohitas dhaman 3. Sumanass Svadhaman

July, 1969] PURANIC THEORY OF YUGAS AND KALPAS 13. Raucya 4. Sukarmans 5. Surapas 1. Sutra- Divas- Yogesvara mans 2. Sukarmans 3. Sudharmans pati 14. Bhautya 1. CaksuSuci Brhadbhanu sas 2. Pavitras 3. Kanisthas 4. Bhrajikas 5. Vacavrddhas 317 KALPA As 1,000 Mahayugas, each of 12,000 divine years or of 43,20,000 human years, make a Kalpa or cosmic period, the length or duration of a Kalpa comes to 1,20,00,000 divine years or 4,32,00,00,000 human years. Since a Kalpa is the Day of Brahma (Creator), 30 such Kalpas make a Month of Brahma. And as there are 30 tithis (lunar days) of different designations in a lunar month, on the same analogy the different names of the 30 Kalpas of Brahma's Month are given in the Matsya-Purana (Adh. 290) as follows: 1. Sveta (), 2. Nila-lohita (), 3. Vamade(), 4. Rathantara (), 5 Raurava (), 6. Deva (), 7. Brhat-kalpa (), 8. Kandarpa (a), 9. Sadya (H), 10. Isana (), 11. Tamah ( : ), 12. Sarasvata (sarasvata ), 13. Udana (317), 14. Garuda (3), 15. Kaurma (), 16. Narasimha (R), 17. Samana (HH), 18. Agneya (cc), 19. Soma (H), 20. Manava (), 21. Tat-puman (c), 22. Vaikuntha (a), 23. Laksmi-kalpa (-), 24. Savitri-kalpa (l),

318 puranam - PURANA [Vol. XI, No. 2 25. Aghora (a), 26. Varaha (a), 27. Vairaja (), 28. Gauri-kalpa (fc), 29. Mahesvara (HI), 30. Pitkalpa (pitrkalpa ). Of these 30 Kalpas the 15th (Kaurma) is the Full-Moon Day () and the 30th (Pity-kalpa) the New-Moon Day (, of Brahma's Month. Out of the eighteen Mahapuranas the following Puranas deal with the accounts of some of these Kalpas, as follows (see Matsya-P., Adh. 53):Purana Padma-Purana Visnu-Purana Kalpa deals with Padma-Kalpa (?) Varaha-Kalpa (26) Vayu-Purana 99 Sveta-Kalpa (1) Bhagavata-P. Sarasvata-Kalpa (12) 99 Naradiya-P. Brhat-Kalpa (7) " Agni-P. Isana-Kalpa (10) ww Bhavisya-P. ww Aghora-Kalpa (25) Brahma-vaiv.-P. Rathantara-Kalpa (4) 29 Linga-P. 33 Agneya-Kalpa (18) Varaha-P. ww Manava-Kalpa (20) Skanda-P. 23 Tat-puru sa-Kalpa (21) Vamana-P. Kurma-Kalpa (15) ww Kurma-P. ww Laksmi-Kalpa (23) Garuda-P. " Garuda-Kalpa (14) The Vayu-Purana (Adh. 21) gives a different list of the 28 Kalpas (perhaps on the analogy of the 28 Naksatras or Constellations in a lunar month) as follows:- 1. bhava, 2. bhuvah, 3. tapah, 4. bhava, 5 rambha, 6 rtukalpa, 7. rtu, 8. vahni 9. havyavahana, 10. savitra, 11. bhuvah, 11. bhuvah, 12. unika, 13. kusika, 14. gandharva, 15. rsabha, 16. sadja, 17. marjaliya, 18. madhyama, 19. vairajaka, 20. nisada, 21. pancama, 22. meghavahana, 23. cintaka, 24. akuti, 25 vijnati, 26. manah, 27. bhava, 28. brhat ( or rathantara ). In addition to the twenty-eight Kalpas the Vayu-P. (Adh. 22) gives 5 more Kalpas - 1. svetakalpa, 2. rakta-, 3. pitavasas-, 4. krsna, 5. visvarupa - the names of which are derived from the forms which the Creator assumes in these Kalpas.

July, 1969] PURANIC THEORY OF YUGAS AND KALPAS 319 Each Kalpa (Cosmic Period) or the Day of Brahma is followed by the Pralaya or the Ekarnava state (Great Deluge) in which the whole of the universe up to the Svar-Loka is destroyed. This Pralaya is called naimittika as it is occasioned by the Night of Brahma when he remains asleep (or inactive).¹ At the end of Brahma's life of his 100 years (360 * 100 Kalpas) the entire universe including even Brahma and all other Gods and all the fourteen Lokas are destroyed and merge into their original cause or Praky ti; hence this Pralaya is called the Prakrtika Pralaya. (cf. VisnuP. VI. 1f.) Brahma's full age of his 100 years is called Para, and half of this period is called Parardha. One Parardha of Brahma's life has passed, the last Kalpa of this Parardha is also called the Padma-Kalpa, for the Earth (or the world) in that Kalpa is produced in the form of a Lotus from the navel of Visnu; the present Kalpa, whieh is also the first Kalpa of the second Parardha of Brahmas life, is called the Sveta Varaha-Kalpa. (Vis. P. I. 3. 26 f.; Bhag. III. 11. 33 ff.; Mt.-P, 164. 5; 169. 2f). As the scheme of the four Yugas is associated with the varying degrees of the dharma and adharma (i.e. the gradual deterioration of dharma, and gradual increase of adharma from the Krta-Yuga to the Kali-Yuga), this scheme is said to prevail in the Bharatavarsa only out of the nine Varsas of the Jambu-dvipa, and not in the remaining eight Varsas where there is no dharma and adharma and no gradation of high and low in their social order. (cf. Visnu.-P. II. 3. 19 - catvarim bharate varse yuganyatra mahamune | krtam treta dvaparanca kaliscanyatra na kvacit | In this respect these Yugas may be likened to the six Rtus (seasons) Cf. also Visnu-P. I. 3. 18 ff. 1. 3. The jala-plava (Deluge) after each Manvantara may not be universal, but this Naimittika Pralaya is universal. A jala-plava is mentioned in the Matsya-Purana, when the Matsya incarnation of Visnu narrated the Matsya-Purana to Vaivasvata Manu. So this jala-plava might have occured after the sixth (Caksusa) Manvantara or in the beginning of the seventh Manvantara. Cf. also Visnu-P. II. 1. 25-26. yani kimpurusadini varsanyastau mahamune | tesam svabhaviki siddhih sukhapraya hyayatnatah || viparyayo na tesvasti jaramrtyubhayam na ca | dharmadharmau na tesvastam nottamadhamamadhyamah || also cf. ibid, II. 2 53-55.

320 puranam - PURANA [Vol. XI, No. 2 of Bharata-varsa, which do not take place elsewhere in the same number, order and degree. But the Kalpas are not confined to a particular Varsa or Dvipa, Tley are universal. A table of the computation of the Yugas, Manvantaras and their Kalpa is given below, which also indicates the age of the present universe according to the Puranas: our Earth might have come into existence a little later in this cosmological scheme. It may be seen that this Purana or astronomical computation comes close to the modern calculation of the present age of the Earth according to the science of geology. SRSTI KALA OR KALPA (Manu-Smrti 1.66 ff; Vishnu-Purana, I. 3.8 ff) 360 human years = 1 divine year 4000 divine years = Krta (Satya) Yuga 400 divine years = Krta-Sandhya 400 divine years = Krta-Sandhyamsa 3000 divine years - Treta Yuga 300 divine years - Treta-Sandha 300 divine years - Treta-Sandhyamsa 2000 divine years = Dvapara Yuga 200 divine years = Dvapara-Sandhya 200 divine years = Dvapara-Sandhyamsa 1000 divine years = Kali-Yuga 100 divine years = Kali-Sandhya 100 divine years = Kali-Sandhyammsa 4 Yugas combined = 1 Mahayuga, or 1 Divine Yuga 1 Mahayuga = 12,000 divine years =43,20,000 human years 6 71+ Mahayugas = 1 Manvantara 14 14 Manvantaras or 1000 Mahayugas = 1 Day of Brahma or The period of a Kalpa =4,320,000,000 human years

July, 1969] PURANIC THEORY OF YUGAS AND KALPAS THE PRESENT AGE OF THE EARTH 321 The present Kalpa is the Varaha- Kalpa, of which the following period has already elapsed: - 6 Manvantaras = 1,85,14,28,574 human years +27 Mahayugas = +3 Yugas (Satya, Dvapara, Kali) + Past period of Kali (28th) = 11,66,40,000 human years (of the present Vaivasvala Manvantara). 38,88,000 human years 5070 years (up to A. D. 1969). Total Period elapsed = 1,97,19,61,544 years This period may be taken, according to the Puranas, as the age of the present creation or srsti. In the beginning the earth was only in the atomic form. It was in the womb of the cosmic as they water, and later on, it emerged from those waters gradully dried up by the Sun's rays, (that is what the episode of the Prithivi-uddhara by God Varaha may indicate). So the real age of the present solid earth may be less than the above calculation of the present age of the srsti, which surprisingly comes close to the geological time scale calculation as given below:

322 puranam - PURANA [Vol. XI, No. 2 ORIGIN OF Eras Periods and Systems QUATERNARY Recent or Holocene Glacial or Pleistocene PALEOZOIC Palaios ancient (Ancient life) MESOZOIC Mesos middle (Mediaval life CAINOZOIC Kainos or Cenos = recent Zoe life (Recent-life) TERTIARY Pliocene Miocene Oligocene Eocene THE GEOLOGICAL Derivation of Names Holos complete Pleiston = most 'cene' Pleion = more Meion = less from Kainos = recent Oligos Eos = few dawn CRETACEOUS JURASSIC TRIASSIC Creta = chalk Jura mountains Threefold divission in Germany PERMIAN CARBONIFEROUS DEVONIAN or OLD RED SANDSTONE SILURIAN ORDOVICIAN CAMBRIAN Permia, anc. kingdom E. of Volga Coal-bearing Devon (marine sediments) (Land sediments of same period) Silures anc, tribe of Welsh border Ordovices, anc. tribe, N. Wales Cambria = Wales PRE-CAMBRIAN ERAS PROTEROZOIC ARCHEOZOIC EOZOIC UNRECORDED INTERVAL ORIGIN OF THE EARTH Proteros Archaos Eos Earlier Primaval = Dawn

July, 1969] PURANIC THEORY OF YUGAS AND KALPAS THE EARTH TIME SCALE* Approximate dates in years 25,000 1,000,000 Distinctive Life Modern Man Stone-Age Man 15,000,000 35,000,000 Mammals and 50,000,000 Flowering Plants 70.000,000 120,000,000 150,000,000 190,000,000 } Reptiles 323 220,000,000 280,000,000 Amphbians and Primitive Plant 320,000,000 } Fishes 350,000,000 400,000,000 500,000,000 at least 1,750,000,000 Unrecorded Interval at least 2,000,000,000 Invertebrates First appearance of abundant fossils Scanty remains of Sponges and Seaweeds No direct fossil evidence of Life *This Geological Time Scale showing the date of the origin of the Earth has been taken from Arthur Holmes; Principles of Physical Geology, pp. 104-105. It has been kindly supplied by Dr. Arup Deb, Department of Geology, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi. 16