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Vedic Creation Cycle-2
Creation Cycle of the Universe (Brahma).
Only the
Vedic Time
tradition has used huge mathematical
figures for calculating the age, proving the point that it is a
scientific tradition and not religious or theological
traditions which calculate
not more than
6,000 to 10,000 years.
The creation theory of the Puranas has been stated in brief, under
the section on the Upanishads (Swami
Krishananda). While describing creation, they also give a
scheme of time-calculation applicable in determining the major or longer
events that take place in the Universe.
Days:Fifteen days and nights constitute
one-half (Paksha) of the lunar month, thus, a month consisting of two halves
- the bright and the dark - according to the phases of the Moon.
Months:
Two months
make a season (Ritu), and three seasons make one hemispherical motion (Ayana)
of the Sun, there being two such motions - the Northern (Uttara) and the
Southern (Dakshina). Two such consecutive motions of the Sun make one human
year (Varsha).
Years:
Three-hundred-and-sixty human years make one celestial year.
Twelve thousand celestial years make one cycle of the four Ages (Chaturyuga).
The four Ages are Krita, Treta, Dvapara and Kali, in the descending order of
truth and righteousness, the span of life and general prosperity during
their periods.
Yugas:The
Krita-Yuga consists of 4,800 celestial years, the Treta
3,600 celestial years, the Dvapara 2,400 celestial years and the Kali 1,200
celestial years. The Kali-Yuga is said to have commenced in 3101 B.C., the
year in which Krishna disappeared from the earth. Seventy-one cycles of
these four Yugas make one Manvantara or a period for which a Manu rules the
world. There are fourteen Manus, of whom the present one is the seventh. The
period of these fourteen Manus (which, with the addition of twilight ages
between periods of Manu, comes to one thousand four-age cycles) is a single
day (Kalpa) of Brahma, the Creator. So much also is the length of the night
of Brahma.
Braham's and Universe age: Three-hundred-and-sixty such days make one year of Brahma. And
Brahma's life is for such one hundred years or 306,720,000 (3.11 trillion)
human years. He is now said to be in his
51st year and so about 155 trillion
years have elapsed since he was born as Brahma.
At the end of the life of Brahma, there is dissolution of the
cosmos (Prakrita-Pralaya). Brahma, then, with his creation, merges in the
Supreme Being. In this condition of dissolution, the individuals (Jivas)
remaining unliberated lie in a dormant state and get manifested again in the
next creation.
So the Universe is symbolized as Brahma and his
one day is divided into 14 periods called Manvantara.
Each manvantara
is of duration 306,720,000 human years. We are currently in the Seventh
Manvantara called
Vaivasvata.
More amazing information of Vedic time can be found by clicking this
link on
Brahma's time .
and information on names of all 14 Manvantara can be read by clicking
this link
One day of Brahma.
We are in the 7th manvantara (total 14). Each manvantara is divided into 71
maha-yugas. We are in the 28th maha-yuga of this manvantara. Each maha-yuga
is divided into 4 yugas shown below for the current maha-yuga.
The above illustration is from the site - http://www.indiaheritage.org/rendez/article1.htm#episode
What does this Yugas denote?. In the next few pages we will discuss about it
and then see how creation occurs. Where did the starting material come
from. Who created it. This is the mystery of mankind. Humans have this
quest to know because humans has the highest power to transcend to the
awareness state. But we are wasting this potential in sensorial world.
Click here to continue reading
about the different worlds to as given by the Vedic Rishis.
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