Today is Chaitra Shudha Pratipada (चैत्र शुद्ध प्रतिपदा), New Year for many Indians. I
wish them a very happy and prosperous New Year! This morning I attended RSS’s Gudi Padava Ustav. A knowledgeable
speaker in RSS fraternity touched upon Hindu
Cosmology. It triggered a recall of my readings on this topic which I am
presenting it here.
· Hindus
believe Brahma (creator of universe) leaves
for 100 years. Each year consists of 300 cosmic days and 300 cosmic nights. 1
day (cosmic daytime) of Brahma is
called as Kalpa (कल्प). Brahma is 51 years old
and Shweta Varaha (श्वेत वराह) Kalpa is currently going on.
· Brahma
creates 14 Manus (मनु) in each Kalpa. Period
of 1 Manu is called as Manvantar (मन्वंतर). Currently, वैवस्वत (मनु) Manvantar is going on which is 7th Manu.
· Each Manvantar
has 71 Mahayug. Each Manu is separated by Sandhya. There are 15 Sandhya which are equivalent of 6 Mahayug. Therefore, each Kalpa is of (14 X 71) + 6 = 1000 Mahayug
·
1 Mahayug
comprises of 1 Satya (सत्य), Treta (त्रेता), Dwapar (द्वापर) and Kali (कलि) Yug each.
·
Kali Yug
is of 4,32,000 conventional years
·
Dwapar Yug
is twice of Kali Yug i.e. 4,32,000 X
2 = 8,64,000 years
·
Treta Yug
is thrice of Kali Yug i.e. 4,32,000 X
3 = 12,96,000 years
·
Satya Yug
is four times of Kali Yug i.e. 4,32,000
X 4 = 17,28,000 years.
· Therefore one Mahayug is of 43,20,000 years and one Manu is of 30,67,20,000 years and one Kalpa is of 4,32,00,00,000 years!
·
We are currently in Kaliyug of 28th Mahayug
of वैवस्वत Manvantar of Shweta Varaha Kalpa.
· Brahma
is awake during daytime (Kalpa) and
hence universe is awake. When brahma
is sleeping in the night, universe is also sleeping (destroyed by Shiva). Brahma dies after 100 years and universe is completely destroyed.
He reincarnates only after 100 years and universe starts blossoming once again.
This cycle repeats again and again. Rig
Veda says no body knows how long it is going on and how long it would
continue.
These are our beliefs and there
is no scientific justification of it. However, age of the universe suggested by
modern science is surprisingly very much closer to what suggested by Hindu cosmology. Whenever you perform any
Pooja at your home next time, observe
what Brahmin says. He gives the complete reference of Hindu cosmology by uttering Kalpa-Manavantar-Yug-Year-Season-Month-Paksha-Date (Tithi)-Day (War)-Nakshatra. Listen it carefully.
All of our Indian calendars are
derived or calculated from सूर्यसिद्धान्त of
Rig Veda. Other Asian calendars like
Chinese and Japanese are also based on this principle. Our calendars are based upon
cycle of moon. However correction (leap year or Adhik Mas) is applied
based upon the solar cycle. Therefore, Hindu
calendars are lunisolar calendar. Christian’s calendar is Solar whereas Muslim’s
calendar is pure lunar.
A variety of calendars are used
in India. Maharashtra and southern states use Shalivahana Shaka. The northern states use Vikram Samvat. Both of them have same months. In Shalivahan Shaka, new month begins with Shukla Paksha whereas it begins with Krishna Paksha in Vikram Samvat.
In short, Amavasya (no moon) is the
last day of the month in Shalivahan Shaka
whereas Pornima (full moon) is the
last day of the month in Vikram Samvat.
Subtract ~78 from Gregorian year for Shalivahan
Shaka (1936 from today) and add ~56 for Vikram
Samvat. There is one more very common calendar which starts from beginning of
Kali Yug (3102 BCE). It is called as Yugabda. Add ~3102 in CE to get Yugabda.
Indian National Calendar is Shaka which is similar to Shalivahan
Shaka. We must use it in all the Government communication. But we have been
taught not to honor our own traditions. We have already forgotten all our “National”
things given in the Constitution of India in last 64 years. We hear Indian
National Calendar only on Aakashwani
Radio station when starts in the morning. But who listens Aakashwani nowadays!!