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As each grain of Time is destroyed,

The next comes along and brings with it either Creation or Destruction.
This is the Dance of Shiva.
The eternal cycle of Life and Death; Birth and Re-birth; Formation and Dissolution is called the
Kaal-chakra or the 'Wheel of Time'.
Puraanic genealogies take us back into the mists of time when Human-beings were first trying
to settle down on arth and make it their Home. The Age of Kali (Kaliyug) is astrologically
belie!ed to ha!e commenced on "#th February $%#" B& and conse'uently( we are currently in
the )%%*th year of this ra.
The +aliyuga ,odiac
How did the ancients really -ercei!e their world. /ere they also as bewildered by these mind-
boggling numbers as we are today. 0r did they acce-t it nonchalantly and went back to their
daily chores with a shrug.
The 1ndian calendar is ingeniously based on B0TH the 2un and 3oon; it uses a solar year but
di!ides it into %" lunar months4 1n this calendar( seasons follow the 2un; months follow the
3oon; and days follow both. To hel- the lunar months coincide with the solar year( the -ractice
of inserting an e5tra month( called the Adhik Maas( arose which is inserted e!ery $# months
since 6# months 7 6" months.
Lunar days in the 1ndian calendar are called Tithis. They are calculated using the difference of
the longitudinal angle between the -osition of the sun and moon. Because of this( the tithi may or
may not ha!e changed by the time the day has changed and this is why sometimes a tithi is
omitted( and at others( two consecuti!e days share the same.
Tithis or Days in a Lunar &alendar
8strologically( one of the oldest &alendars followed in Hinduism( is the Saptarishi calendar
which begins from 6696 B& :earlier referred to as B&;. This !ersion was in use in northern
1ndia from at least the *
th
century B&( as witnessed by the statements of <reek and Roman
writers.
8nother 1ndian calendar is known as the =ikram ra( or the Vikram Samvat( which began in )9
B&. This calendar deri!es its name from the original king Vikramaditya of Ujjain and the
date is su--osed to mark the !ictory of the king o!er the Shakas( who had in!aded >??ain.
8nother calenad which is the 0fficial 1ndian calendar now is known as the 2aka &alendar and
starts in 9@ &.
Measurement o Time in !induism
The authenticity and !eracity of these dates will be dealt with subse'uently( but for now let us try
to understand the basic units of measurement used in ancient 1ndia. These units are based on the
method of calculation known as Kaal-ganana"
8ccording to the -rinci-les of 1ndian time measurement( the smallest unit of measurement of
Time is the in!oluntary time taken to dro- oneAs eyelid or the Blink of an Eye. 1t is remarkable
that the ancients chose such a mode of measurement because this time is &onstant for all li!ing
indi!iduals hence does not de-end on any =ariables4
This unit is known as a '#imish$
Three >nits :#$; of Bimish combine to form a $Kshan$
Fi!e >nits :#); of +shan combine to form a $Kashtha$
Thirty >nits :$#; of +ashtha combine to form a $Kaal$
Thirty >nits :$#; of +aal combine to form a $Muhurat$
Thirty >nits :$#; of 3uhurat then combine to form a "* hour -eriod known as the
$%ivas-ratri$
This "* hour -eriod is also di!ided into an o!erla--ing di!ision called the $&raher$ or 'Paher'.
ach %" hour -eriod has * Crahers each( thereby di!iding one rotation of arth into @ e'ual
-arts.
Fifteen >nits :%); of Di!as-Ratri form a fortnight or a $&aksh$. The bright wa5ing 3oon
fortnight is called the Shukla Paksh and the dark waning 3oon fortnight is known as the
Krishna Paksh.
+alchakra 3andala

1n one of the higher -lanets called Pitralok' one fortnight of humans corres-onds to one day and
a similar time -eriod counts as their night. Therefore( the Bright fortnight forms the Day of the
Pitras and the Dark one forms the Bight.
Two >nits :"; of Cakshs combine to form a month or a $Masa$
2i5 >nits :6; of 3aas ?ointly are referred to as an $Ayan$
The si5 months when 2un is in the Borthern Hemis-here are called the Uttarayan and the
corres-onding si5 in the lower hemis-here form the Dakshinayan" This bright northern ?urney of
2un forms 0ne day of the Devas and the si5 human month 2outhern ?ourney forms their
Bight. Thus( for the demigods( 0ne human year is e'ui!alent to 0ne Day-Bight -eriod.
(alculation o )ugas
Lord BrahmaAs day and night are each known as a Kala and Brahma li!es for a Hundred such
Dears. 0ne day in the life of Brahma thus comes to be close to*.$" Billion human years4
Like our %" hour di!ision( each day of Brahma is di!ided into fourteen :%*; di!isions
known as the Manvantars. ach 3an!antar is ruled o!er by a leader of mankind known
as the !anu.
ach 3an!antar is further di!ided into 9% Mahayugas ?ust as each hour of our day is
di!ided into 6# minutes.
ach 3ahayuga is further sub-di!ided into * )ugas each which are - Satyuga'
Tretayuga( Dvaaryuga and Kaliyuga.
1n the continuum called !ahayuga" each successi!e Duga is lesser in duration than its
-redecessor by ")E. 8lso( at the beginning and end of each Duga( there e5ists a San#hya which
forms %#E of the duration of that Duga. These are the durations of the res-ecti!e DugasF
Kritayug Duga *###
2andhya *##
2andhyansh *##
*@##
Tretayug Duga $###
2andhya $##
2andhyansh $##
$6##
%*aparyug Duga "###
2andhya "##
2andhyansh "##
"*##
Kaliyug Duga %###
2andhya %##
2andhyansh %##
%"##
Total %"###
1n %eva )ears( they corres-ond to the durations of *@##( $6##( "*## and %"## res-ecti!ely and
since 0ne De!a Dear is e'ual to $6# human years( these figures become %9"@###( %"G6###(
@6*### and *$"### res-ecti!ely.
0nce a &haturyuga cycle gets o!er( there is a deluge which drowns the entire arth after which
life begins anew with the ne5t &haturyugaH3ahayuga cycle.
/hen these cycles of time ha!e re-eated themsel!es for a %## years of Brahma( it is time for the
creator-god to lea!e his mortal body as well. 8t the end of this Time( there is dissolution of the
entire &reation and all li!ing as well as non-li!ing matter is absorbed unto itself to once again
+egin at the +eginning.
"
Aum Shanti, Shanti, Shanti,

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