SRIMAD BHAGAVATAM: CANTO 3

(1) Maitreya said: 'The ultimate truth of what shows itself in the many as the indivisible, should always be seen as the atomic from which the oneness of men is misunderstood. (2) Surely is, of the truth of physical bodies [of atoms] that keep the same form till the end of time, that which emancipates to the Supreme ever composed into unlimited forms.

(3) And thus, to the subtle as well as the gross forms, can time be measured, my best, by the motion of the combination of atoms of which the Supreme unmanifest Lord is the great force controlling all physical action. (4) That eternal time of the atoms is ascertained by means of the entire aggregate of the space taken by the atoms in their non-dual existence [their expansion], which is the supreme or great of [cosmic] time.

(5) Three times the double of two atoms becomes a hexatom of which one is reminded by what can be known to lighten up in the fluid of ones eye [as a dust-particle], seeing it go up when one looks in the sky. (6) The time formed by the combination of three hexatoms [in their expanding to the space they take] is called a truthi [calculated as 1/16.875 of a second] of which one hundred are called a vedha; the three of them happen to be called but a lava. (7) The duration of three lavas is to be known as one nimesha [± 0.53 second] and the time of three of them is called a kshana [± 1.6 seconds], five of those should be known as a kâshthhâ [± 8 seconds] of which a laghu is the fifteen of them [± 2 minutes]. (8) The exact of fifteen of those laghus is called a nâdikâ [or danda, ± 30 minutes] and two of them make a muhûrta [about an hour] while six to seven of them form one yâma [a quarter of a lightday or night] depending on human calculation [the season, the latitude]. (9) The measuring pot (water-clock) has the weight of six palas [14 ounces] and has a four mâsha [17 karats] golden probe four fingers long covering a hole through which it fills with water till next sunrise. (10) Four yâmas form the duration of both the day and the night of the human being and fifteen days [of eight yâmas each] make one pakshah [fortnight] which measured is known as being either black or white [depending on whether there is a full moon or new moon in it]. (11) The aggregate of such a 'day' and 'night' is called an ancestral [traditional and solar] month with two of them forming a season of which there are six [resp. 'cold' or hemanta, 'dew' or s'is'ira, 'spring' or vasanta, 'warm' or grîshma, 'rainy' or varshâs and 'autumn' or s'arad, counted from the 22 of dec.] according the movement of the sun going through the southern and the northern sky. (12) This movement of the sun is said to form one day of the demigods and is called a vatsara [a tropical year] of twelve months. The duration of life of the human being is estimated to be of a great many [a hundred] of those years [see also the 'full calendar of order'].

(13) The planets, the heavenly bodies [like the moon] and the stars all rotate along with the atoms in the universe completing their orbits as being a year in the Almighty [or cyclic] of the eternal of time. (14) The orbiting around the sun of the earth and of the other planets as well, the orbiting of our stars [in our galaxy around Sagittarius A in the sky] and also the orbiting moon is, o Vidura, thus spoken of as being one [but differently named] year [resp. a tropical year, a galactic year and a lunation]. (15) The One [Lord of Time] who moves distinct from all the diversity by the name of Eternal Time [cyclic and linear time combined] and by His own energy in different ways brings to life the seeds of creation and dissipates the darkness of the living entities during the day, should be offered respect with attention for all His five different types of [dynamic] years [the solar year, the galactic year, the planetary year, the lunation or any aniversary year], so that one thus by offerings brings about quality in one's material existence.

(16) Vidura said: 'Given the traditional, divine and human of the final calculation in the measurement of the timeperiods of the lives of all the supreme living entities, what would be the calculation of the periods that take more than a millennium, o greatly learned one? (17) O mighty one of the Spirit, by dint of the eyes of your yogic vision you are the one that in your self-realization does see of eternal time the movements of the Supreme Lord in the form of the entire universe.'

(18) Maitreya said: 'The four yugas [ages or millennia] called Satya, Tretâ, Dvâpara and Kali take together approximately 12.000 years [or one mahâyuga] of the demigods [which are assigned 360 vatsaras each]. (19) The subsequent yugas starting with Satya-yuga each are respectively four, three, two and one time 1.200 demigod years long. (20) Experts say that the transitional periods at the beginning and end of each yuga cover several hundreds of demigod years and that they are the millennia [like the millennia we live in now] wherein all kinds of religious activities take place. (21) The complete sense of duty of mankind in its four principles of religion [of satya, dayâ, tapas, s'auca; truth, compassion, penance and cleanliness] was during Satya-yuga properly maintained, but certainly in the other yugas the principles gradually declined one by one with irreligion proportionately being more and more admitted. (22) Apart from the one thousand [mahâ-]yugas for the three worlds [the heavenly, svarga; earthly, martya and lower, pâtâla ones] in the realm of the Absolute [Brahmaloka] that for sure make one day of Brahmâ [of 4.32 billion years], o dear one, there is also a night just as long wherein the Creator of the universe goes asleep. (23) Following the end of the night with the beginning of another day of Lord Brahmâ the creation of the three worlds begins again in its totality covering the lives of fourteen Manus. (24) Each Manu enjoys a time of living of a little more than seventy-one [mahâ- that is a set of four] yugas.

(25) With the ending of each Manu, the next one follows along with the flourishing of his descendants, the seven sages, the God-conscious and the demigods with all of the following after them. (26) All these creations of the lower animals, the human beings, the ancestors and the demigods belonging to the one creation of a day of Brahmâ, are revolving through the three worlds appearing therein in the cycles of their own fruitive activities. (27) With the change of each Manu, the Supreme Lord manifests His goodness in His different incarnations as the Manu Himself that maintains this universe for the unfolding of the divine potencies. (28) At the end of the day [of Brahmâ] is by the Almighty Time all the power of manifestation taken in and stay, with the material world contracted in the darkness, all living entities silent in being merged. (29) For sure are thereafter the realities of the three worlds that entered into the night of Brahmâ, just as it is with an ordinary night, without the glare of the sun and the moon. (30) When the life-spheres of the three worlds are being set afire by the potency of the fire that emanates from the mouth of Lord Sankarshana [see 3-8: 3], then the sage Bhrigu and others who are agitated by the heat move from the world of the saints [Maharloka, the fourth world] to the world of men [Janaloka, the next world]. (31) Immediately after the beginning of the devastation of the three worlds all the seas overflow with the agitation of violent winds and hurricanes that are blowing the waves. (32) In the water there is on the seat of Ananta the Lord in His mystic slumber with His eyes closed being glorified by the inhabitants of the worlds of man.

(33) Thus in the course of time there is decline through these days and nights of ending His [Brahmâ's] life just like it is with our lives, although it takes a hundred years [to him: two parârdhas or 2 times 155.5 trillion years, see also 3.9: 18] (34) The first half of the duration of His life called one parârdha has now passed and surely in this age we have begun with the second half. (35) In the beginning of the superior first half there was a millennium named the Brâhma-kalpa in which the great was manifested whereupon Lord Brahmâ and the known sounds of the Veda appeared. (36) And thereafter at the end of the Brâhma-millennium came into being what is called the Pâdma-kalpa in which from the Lord His navel the lotus of the universe sprouted. (37) This current millennium at the beginning of the second half is factually celebrated, o descendant of Bharata, as the one of Vârâha in which the Lord appeared in the form alike that of a hog [see also 1.3: 7] (38) This eternal time of the two halves of Brahmâ's life is but a second compared to the unchanging, unlimited and surely beginningless Soul of the universe. (39) This eternal time which, beginning from the atom up to the final duration of two parârdhas, is the controller of the ones of body consciousness, is for sure never capable of controlling the Supreme. (40) Along with the transformation of the elements the henceforth united manifestations expanded outside covering with a universe of half a billion. (41) Enlarged up to ten times these units [or the secondary elements] that like atoms entered into it evidently came together and clustered with each other into huge universes [or galaxies]. (42) That is said to be the infallible supreme cause of all causes, the supreme abode of the Maintainer and without doubt the original incarnation of the person of the Universal Mind [Mahâ-Vishnu].'

Maitreya said: 'The ultimate truth of what shows itself in the many as the indivisible, should always be seen as the atomic from which the oneness of men is misunderstood.

The material manifestation's ultimate particle, which is indivisible and not formed into a body, is called the atom. It exists always as an invisible identity, even after the dissolution of all forms. The material body is but a combination of such atoms, but it is misunderstood by the common man. (Vedabase)

Text 2

Surely is, of the truth of physical bodies [of atoms] that keep the same form till the end of time, that which emancipates to the Supreme ever composed into unlimited forms.

Atoms are the ultimate state of the manifest universe. When they stay in their own forms without forming different bodies, they are called the unlimited oneness. There are certainly different bodies in physical forms, but the atoms themselves form the complete manifestation. (Vedabase)

Text 3

And thus, to the subtle as well as the gross forms, can time be measured, my best, by the motion of the combination of atoms of which the Supreme unmanifest Lord is the great force controlling all physical action.

One can estimate time by measuring the movement of the atomic combination of bodies. Time is the potency of the almighty Personality of Godhead, Hari, who controls all physical movement although He is not visible in the physical world. (Vedabase)

Text 4

That eternal time of the atoms is ascertained by means of the entire aggregate of the space taken by the atoms in their non-dual existence [their expansion], which is the supreme or great of [cosmic] time.

Atomic time is measured according to its covering a particular atomic space. That time which covers the unmanifest aggregate of atoms is called the great time. (Vedabase)

Text 5

Three times the double of two atoms becomes a hexatom of which one is reminded by what can be known to lighten up in the fluid of one's eye [as a dust-particle], seeing it go up when one looks in the sky.

The division of gross time is calculated as follows: two atoms make one double atom, and three double atoms make one hexatom. This hexatom is visible in the sunshine which enters through the holes of a window screen. One can clearly see that the hexatom goes up towards the sky. (Vedabase)

Text 6

The time formed by the combination of three hexatoms [in their expanding to the space they take] is called a truthi [calculated as 1/16.875 of a second] of which one hundred are called a vedha; the three of them happen to be called but a lava.

The time duration needed for the integration of three trasarenus is called a truthi, and one hundred truthis make one vedha. Three vedhas make one lava. (Vedabase)

Text 7

The duration of three lavas is to be known as one nimesha [± 0.53 second] and the time of three of them is called a kshana [± 1.6 seconds], five of those should be known as a kâshthhâ [± 8 seconds] of which a laghu is the fifteen of them [± 2 minutes].

The duration of time of three lavas is equal to one nimesha, the combination of three nimeshas makes one kshana, five kshanas combined together make one kâshthhâ, and fifteen kâshthhâs make one laghu. (Vedabase)

Text 8

The exact of fifteen of those laghus is called a nâdikâ [or danda, ± 30 minutes] and two of them make a muhûrta [about an hour] while six to seven of them form one yâma [a quarter of a lightday or night] depending on human calculation [the season, the latitude].

Fifteen laghus make one nâdikâ, which is also called a danda. Two dandas make one muhûrta, and six or seven dandas make one fourth of a day or night, according to human calculation. (Vedabase)

Text 9

The measuring pot. (water-clock) has the weight of six palas [14 ounces] and has a four mâsha [17 karats] golden probe four fingers long covering a hole through which it fills with water till next sunrise.

The measuring pot for one nâdikâ, or danda, can be prepared with a six-pala-weight [fourteen ounce] pot of copper, in which a hole is bored with a gold probe weighing four mâsha and measuring four fingers long. When the pot is placed on water, the time before the water overflows in the pot is called one danda. (Vedabase)

Text 10

Four yâmas form the duration of both the day and the night of the human being and fifteen days [of eight yâmas each] make one pakshah [fortnight] which measured is known as being either black or white [depending on whether there is a full moon or new moon in it].

It is calculated that there are four praharas, which are also called yâmas, in the day and four in the night of the human being. Similarly, fifteen days and nights are a fortnight, and there are two fortnights, white and black, in a month. (Vedabase)

Text 11

The aggregate of such a 'day' and 'night' is called an ancestral [traditional and solar] month with two of them forming a season of which there are six [resp. 'cold' or hemanta, 'dew' or s'is'ira, 'spring' or vasanta, 'warm' or grîshma, 'rainy' or varshâs and 'autumn' or s'arad, counted from the 22 of dec.] according the movement of the sun going through the southern and the northern sky.

The aggregate of two fortnights is one month, and that period is one complete day and night for the Pitâ planets. Two of such months comprise one season, and six months comprise one complete movement of the sun from south to north. (Vedabase)

Text 12

This movement of the sun is said to form one day of the demigods and is called a vatsara [a tropical year] of twelve months. The duration of life of the human being is estimated to be of a great many [a hundred] of those years [see also the 'full calendar of order'].

Two solar movements make one day and night of the demigods, and that combination of day and night is one complete calendar year for the human being. The human being has a duration of life of one hundred years. (Vedab a se)

Text 13

The planets, the heavenly bodies [like the moon] and the stars all rotate along with the atoms in the universe completing their orbits as being a year in the Almighty [or cyclic] of the eternal of time.

Influential stars, planets, luminaries and atoms all over the universe are rotating in their respective orbits under the direction of the Supreme, represented by eternal kâla. (Vedabase)

Text 14

The orbiting around the sun of the earth and of the other planets as well, the orbiting of our stars [in our galaxy around Sagittarius A in the sky] and also the orbiting moon is, O Vidura, thus spoken of as being one [but differently named] year [resp. a tropical year, a galactic year and a lunation].

There are five different names for the orbits of the sun, moon, stars and luminaries in the firmament, and they each have their own samvatsara. (Vedabase)

Text 15

The One [Lord of Time] who moves distinct from all the diversity by the name of Eternal Time [cyclic and linear time combined] and by His own energy in different ways brings to life the seeds of creation and dissipates the darkness of the living entities during the day, should be offered respect with attention for all His five different types of [dynamic] years [the solar year, the galactic year, the planetary year, the lunation or any aniversary year], so that one thus by offerings brings about quality in one's material existence.

O Vidura, the sun enlivens all living entities with his unlimited heat and light. He diminishes the duration of life of all living entities in order to release them from their illusion of material attachment, and he enlarges the path of elevation to the heavenly kingdom. He thus moves in the firmament with great velocity, and therefore everyone should offer him respects once every five years with all ingredients of worship. (Vedabase)

Text 16

Vidura said: 'Given the traditional, divine and human of the final calculation in the measurement of the timeperiods of the lives of all the supreme living entities, what would be the calculation of the periods that take more than a millennium, o greatly learned one?

Vidura said: I now understand the life durations of the residents of the Pitâ planets and heavenly planets as well as that of the human beings. Now kindly inform me of the durations of life of those greatly learned living entities who are beyond the range of a kalpa. (Vedabase)

Text 17

O mighty one of the Spirit, by dint of the eyes of your yogic vision you are the one that in your self-realization does see of eternal time the movements of the Supreme Lord in the form of the entire universe.'

O spiritually powerful one, you can understand the movements of eternal time, which is the controlling form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because you are a self-realized person, you can see everything by the power of mystic vision. (Vedabase)

Text 18:

Maitreya said: 'The four yugas [ages or millennia] called Satya, Tretâ, Dvâpara and Kali take together approximately 12.000 years [or one mahâyuga] of the demigods [which are assigned 360 vatsaras each].

Maitreya said: O Vidura, the four millenniums are called the Satya, Treta, Dvapara and Kali yugas. The aggregate number of years of all of these combined is equal to twelve thousand years of the demigods. (Vedabase)

Text 19:

The subsequent yugas starting with Satya-yuga each are respectively four, three, two and one time 1.200 demigod years long.

The duration of the Satya millennium equals 4,800 years of the years of the demigods; the duration of the Dvâpara millennium equals 2,400 years; and that of the Kali millennium is 1,200 years of the demigods. (Vedabase)

Text 20:

Experts say that the transitional periods at the beginning and end of each yuga cover several hundreds of demigod years and that they are the millennia [like the millennia we live in now] wherein all kinds of religious activities take place.

The transitional periods before and after every millennium, which are a few hundred years as aforementioned, are known as yuga-sandhyâs, or the conjunctions of two millenniums, according to the expert astronomers. In those periods all kinds of religious activities are performed. (Vedabase)

Text 21:

The complete sense of duty of mankind in its four principles of religion [of satya, dayâ, tapas, s'auca; truth, compassion, penance and cleanliness] was during Satya-yuga properly maintained, but certainly in the other yugas the principles gradually declined one by one with irreligion proportionately being more and more admitted.

O Vidura, in the Satya millennium mankind properly and completely maintained the principles of religion, but in other millenniums religion gradually decreased by one part as irreligion was proportionately admitted. (Vedabase)

Text 22:

Apart from the one thousand [mahâ-] yugas for the three worlds [the heavenly, svarga; earthly, martya and lower, pâtâla ones] in the realm of the Absolute [Brahmaloka] that for sure make one day of Brahmâ [of 4.32 billion years], o dear one, there is also a night just as long wherein the Creator of the universe goes asleep.

Outside of the three planetary systems [Svarga, Martya and Pâtâla], the four yugas multiplied by one thousand comprise one day on the planet of Brahmâ. A similar period comprises a night of Brahmâ, in which the creator of the universe goes to sleep. (Vedabase)

Text 23:

Following the end of the night with the beginning of another day of Lord Brahmâ the creation of the three worlds begins again in its totality covering the lives of fourteen Manus.

After the end of Brahmâ's night, the creation of the three worlds begins again in the daytime of Brahmâ, and they continue to exist through the life durations of fourteen consecutive Manus, or fathers of mankind. (Vedabase)

Text 24:

Each Manu enjoys a time of living of a little more than seventy-one [mahâ- that is a set of four] yugas.

Each and every Manu enjoys a life of a little more than seventy-one sets of four millenniums. (Vedabase)