Happy New Year!!!

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 7^th 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 28^th 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!!