List and description of 18 Puranas in Hindu religion

The Puranas are 18 in number and in the first 6 Puranas Lord Vishnu is the predominating deity and in the next 6
Puranas Lord Brahma is the predominating deity and in the last 6 Puranas Lord Shiva is the predominating deity
and all the Puranas are written in such a way that which gives wonderful explanation in a poetry manner. It will be
wonderful to read about the greatness of Lord Vishnu, Lord Shiva and Lord Brahma in all the Puranas. The
list of 18 Puranas are as follows along with the verses that are available in each Purana along with the description.


Puranas for Lord Vishnu (Sattva Guna):

1. Vishnu Purana Vishnu Purana contains description about the varnasrama, description about the angas of the
Veda, description about Sveta Varaha Kalpa, description about Vishnu dharmotara, description about the age of
Kali.
Vishnu Purana contains totally 23,000 verses.

2. Naradiya Purana This Purana explaning about various places and description about Jagannatha Puri,
Dwaraka, Bhadrinatha and various other Places will be given. This Purana contains the synopsis of everything.
Naradiya Purana contains totally 25,000 verses.

3. Padma Purana This Purana contains the story of Rama, Ekadasi, Bhrgu, Matsys etc. This Purana also contains
the synopsis of everything.
Padma Purana contains totally 55,000 verses

4. Garuda Purana This Garuda Purana is the one that contains the Bhagavath gita subjects and also the
reincarnation. Along with this it also contains the description of Tarsya Kalpa and also the Vishnu Sahasra Nama.
Garuda Purana contains totally 19,000 verses.

5. Varaha Purana The Varaha Purana explains about the glory of the Lord Vishnu. Varaha Purana also describes
different Vratas.
Varaha Purana contains totally 24,000 verses.

6. Bhagavata Purana Bhagavata Purana also explains about Lord Vishnu.
Bhagavata Purana contains totally 18,000 verses.


Puranas of Lord Brahma (Rajo Guna):
..
7. Brahmanda Purana This Brahmanda Purana provides description about Adi Kalpa.
Description about Vedangas is also given in Brahmanda Purana.
Brahmanda Purana contains totally 12,000 verses.

8. Brahmavaivarta Purana It contains the pastimes of Radha and Krishna and also the glories
of the Radha and Krishna.
Brahmavaivarta Purana contains totally 18,000 verses.

9. Markandeya Purana It contains the stories of Rama and Krishna together.
Markandeya Purana contains totally 9,000 verses

10. Bhavisya Purana It contains the devotional service along with the glories and prediction of Lord Chaitanya.
Bhavisya Purana contains totally 14,500 verses.

11. Vamana Purana It Contains the story of Lord Trivikrama.
Vamana Purana contains totally 10,000 verses.

12. Brahma Purana It contains the details about the Purushottama Tirtha in the second part and the details
about the life and deeds of Rama and Krishna in the first part.
Brahma Purana contains totally 10,000 verses.


Puranas of Lord Shiva (Tamo Guna)
............
13. Matsya Purana This Purana provides details about the construction of the temples and
provides description about the Vamana and Varaha kalpas.
Matsya Purana contains totally 14,000 verses.

14. Kurma Purana This Purana contains the conversation between the Lord Krishna and the Sun God as
mentioned in the Bhagvad Gita. It also contains the conversation between the Danvantari who is the one who cures
the diseases. This also describes about the Lakshmi Kalpa.
Kurma Purana contains totally 17,000 verses.

15. Linga Purana This Purana contains the glory of Gayatri and also stories of Ambarisa. The Purana explains
the Glory of Janardhana and Lord Nrismhadeva.
Linga Purana contains totally 10,000 verses.

16. Shiva Purana Shiva Purana is the one that describes the greatness and dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva.
Shiva Purana contains totally 24,000 verses.

17. Skanda Purana Skanda Purana is devoted to the Lord Muruga explaining about the life and deed of
karthikeya. It also contains the greatness of Lord Shiva. Skanda Purana is the largest Purana among all the 18
Puranas.
Skanda Purana contains totally 81,000 verses.

18. Agni Purana It provides the description about Isana Kalpa. It also contains the description about the
Salagrama.

All the Puranas are described and created in such a way to give descriptions on five different subjects. There is also
a sloka that gives explanation about the five different subject descriptions. These Puranas also provides the
description on various activities and various Dharmas that are carried out. The Puranas are described by the
Amarkhosa. The following slokas also provides description.


sargas ca pratisarga ca
vamsa manvantarani ca
vamsanu caritam capi
puranam panca laksanam


This sloka provides the five different subjects on which the description is made in the puranas. They are

1. Sarga This describes about the creation work of the gods.
2. Pratisarga This describes about the recreation of the Gods.
3. Vamsha This particular subject is the description about the history of the sages.
4. Manvantara This explains about the period of Manu and description about Manu.
5. Vamsanucarita This particular subject is the description based on the genealogy of the kings based on the
Vamsa.





Kalpas, Manvantaras, Samvatsaras
What is a Kalpa?
A Kalpa is 12 hours of Brahma. 2 kalpas make a day and a night of Brahma. He lives for 100 years
on this time scale.
How many Mahayugas or Caturyugas are there in a Kalpa?
There are 1000 or 1008, Mahayugas in a Kalpa Mahayugas in a Kalpa. Taking 1008, gives 84
Caturyugas in an hour of Brahma.
How many Manvantaras are there in a Kalpa?
There are 14 Manvantaras in a Kalpa. A manu or an Indra lives for 1 manvantara. 1 manvanatara
is a 100 years of Indra.
How many Mahayugas are there to a Manvantara?
There are 72 Caturyugas to a Manvantara
How many solar years are there in a Caturyuga?
Please read : How many kinds of Yugas are there?
What are the names of the kalpas?from: http://www.krishnamedia.org/e-books/LaghuBhagOne.pdf
The cycle of kalpas, beginning with Brhma-kalpa and ending with Pdma-kalpa, is repeated a thousand
times. The present kalpa is called Sveta-varha-kalpa.
,
from : http://www.webcom.com/ara/col/books/CLAS/bhag/2_10.html : The Bhagavatam speaks of 30
kalpa names, one for each day of his month. This list does not match the list in the Vayu
Purana.Therefore the thirty kalpas of Brahma are: (1) Sveta-kalpa, (2) Nilalohita, (3) Vamadeva, (4)
Gathantara, (5) Raurava, (6) Prana, (7) Brhat-kalpa, (8) Kandarpa, (9) Sadyotha, (10) Isana, (11) Dhyana,
(12) Sarasvata, (13) Udana, (14) Garuda, (15) Kaurma, (16) Narasimha, (17) Samadhi, (18) Agneya, (19)
Visnuja, (20) Saura, (21) Soma-kalpa, (22) Bhavana, (23) Supuma, (24) Vaikuntha, (25) Arcisa, (26) Vali-
kalpa, (27) Vairaja, (28) Gauri-kalpa, (29) Mahesvara, (30) Paitr-kalpa.Kalpa names per vayu purana?

List from the Vayu Purana (Source)
(1) Bhava. (2) Bhuva. (3) Tapah. (4) Bhava. (5) Rambha. (6) Ritu. (7) Kratu. (8) Vahni. (9)
Havyavahana. (10) Savitra. (11) Bhuvah. (12) Oushika. (13) Kushika. (14) Gandharva. (15)
Rishabha. (16) Shadaja. (17) Marjaliya. (18) Madhyama. (19) Vairaja. The great Vairaja Manu was
born in this kalpa and his son was the great sage Dadhichi. (20) Nishada. The race of nishadas
(hunters) were created during this period. (21) Panchama. (22) Meghavahana. The word megha
means cloud and vahana means to bear. In this kalpa, Vishnu adopted the form of a cloud and
bore Shiva on his back. It is thus that the kalpa received its name. (23) Chintaka. (24) Akuti. (25)
Vijnati. (26) Mana. (27) Bhava. (28) Vrihat. (29) Shvetalohita. (30) Rakta. (31) Pitavasa. (32) Sita.
(33) Krishna (34) Vishvarupa. What about the rest?
Note: There are 864,00 seconds in our day. Thus Kalpa is a simple multiple of this figure.

What are the names of the Manvantaras? (Source)
1. Swayambhuva (H.V. 7.8) son of the self born
2. Swarochishta (Mark P.67.4) son of the self shining
3. Uthama ( Mark.P 73.13) son of the highest
4. Taamasa (Mark.P 73.13) son of Darkness
5. Raivatha (Mark.P 75,73,74) son of wealth
6. Chaikshusa( Mark.P 76.54) son of vision
7. VAIVASWATHA( (MARK.P 79.9&10) SON OF BRIGHTNESS
8. Arka Savarnika ( Mark.P 80.4) related to Sungod
9. Daksha Savarnika ( Mark.P 94.8) son of rituals
10. Brahma Savarnika (Mark.P 94.10 to 14 ) son of Brahma
11. Dharma Savarnia( Mark.P 94.19 & 20) relative of eternal law
12. Rudra Savrnika( Mark.P 94.25 )son of the destroyer
13. Deva Savarnika (Mark. P 94.30)son of the shining one and
14. Indra Savarnika (Mark.P 100.31) son of the mighty Indra
(The big bang is about 4 kalpas ago). Each Kalpa (4 320 000 000 earth years) has 14 Manvantaras. Ours
is the 7th Vaivaswatha Manvanthara. This means about half of our Kalpa (Sveta Varaha Kalpa) is
over. Another 2 160 000 000 earth years to the end of this kalpa or to dissolution. This is the Dwitiya
Parardha or second half of Brahmas life, which means 50 x 360 kalpas are over. And we are midway of
one of the next kalpas. At pooja time we say Sveta varaha kalpe, dwitiya parardhe, vaivaswatha
manvantare, kaliyuge, prathama pade. We never mention the name or number of a Chaturyuga or a
Mahayuga.
What are the Names of Years?
We are in the 21st year Sarvajit. 5109 Kali Yuga.
1. Prabhava
2. Vibhava
3. Shukla
4. Pramoda
5. Prajpati
6. ngirasa
7. Shrmukha
8. Bhva
9. Yuvan
10. Dhtri
11. shvara
12. Bahudhnya
13. Pramthin
14. Vikrama
15. Vrisha
16. Chitrabhnu
17. Svabhnu
18. Trana
19. Prthiva
20. Vyaya (2006-2007 AD/CE)

21. Sarvajit (2007-2008 AD/CE)
22. Sarvadhrin
23. Virodhin
24. Vikrita
25. Khara
26. Nandana
27. Vijaya
28. Jaya
29. Manmatha
30. Durmukha
31. Hemalambin
32. Vilambin
33. Vikrin
34. Shrvari
35. Plava
36. Shubhakrit
37. Shobhana
38. Krodhin
39. Vishvvasu
40. Parbhava
41. Plavanga
42. Klaka
43. Saumya
44. Sdhrana
45. Virodhikrit
46. Paritpin
47. Pramdin
48. nanda
49. Rkshasa
50. Anala
51. Pingala
52. Klayukti
53. Siddhrthin
54. Raudra
55. Durmati
56. Dundubhi
57. Rudhirodgrin
58. Raktksha
59. Krodhana
60. Akshaya
The earth is about 1 kalpa old. (4.32 billion years old)

Puranic Time Measurements "Explained".

The Puranas describe a number of time cycles within cycles. Discussions of these cycles can become
confusing because different cycles are measured in different types of units. For example, the cycles are
often described in units of deva years ( years in the higher planets ), each of which equals 360 human
years.

The following description starts with the smaller cycles and works up to the larger ones. The length of each
cycle is given in ordinary human (earth) years, as well other units where appropriate. Large numbers are
described using the conventions of American English: thus, a million is a thousand thousand, a billion is a
thousand million, a trillion is a thousand billion.



Maha Yugas
The smallest cycle is called a maha yuga. A maha yuga is 4,320,000 human years. Each maha yuga is
subdivided into the following four ages, whose lengths follow a ratio of 4:3:2:1:
Satya Yuga (also called Krita Yuga)
This first age is 1,728,000 human years. Also known as the Golden Age or age of Truth. The qualities of
this age are: virtue reigns supreme; human stature is 21 cubits; lifespan is a lakh of years, and death
occurs only when willed.
Treta Yuga
This second age is 1,296,000 human years. Also known as the Silver Age. The qualities of this age are: the
climate is three quarters virtue and one quarter sin; human stature is 14 cubits; lifespan is 10,000 years.

Dvapara Yuga
This third age is 864,000 human years. Also known as the Bronze Age. The qualities of this age are: the
climate is one half virtue and one half sin; lifespan is 1,000 years.
Kali Yuga
The fourth and last age is 432,000 human years. Also known as the Iron Age. This is the age in which we
are presently living. The qualities of this age are: the climate is one quarter virtue and three quarters sin;
human stature is 3.5 cubits; lifespan is 100 or 120 years.



Brahma Days (Kalpas)
A kalpa is a single daytime period in the life of Brahma, the creator god. Two kalpas are a day and a night
of Brahma.
Each kalpa is composed of 1,000 maha yugas. A kalpa is thus equal to 4.32 billion human years.
At the end of Brahma's daytime period, the Three Worlds (Bhuloka, Bhuvarloka, Swarloka) and the seven
underworlds (of the nagas) are temporarily dissolved (pralaya); that is, the same souls will be reincarnated
when the next day of Brahma begins.
The Vishnu Purana states that at the end of the daytime period of Brahma, a dreadful drought occurs that
lasts 100 years, and all the waters are dried up. The sun changes into seven suns, and the three worlds
(Bhurloka or Earth, Bhuvarloka or the lowest heaven, and Svarloka or the next higher heaven) and the
underworlds are burned bare of life. The inhabitants of Bhuvarloka and Svarkloka flee to the next higher
heaven, Maharloka, to escape the heat; and then to the next higher heaven, Janaloka.
Then mighty clouds form and the three worlds are completely flooded with water. The lord Vishnu reposes
on the waters in meditative rest for another whole kalpa (4.32 billion years) before renewing the creation.
The destruction that takes place at the end of a daytime of Brahma is referred to as naimittika, which is
incidental or occasional. The characteristic of this destruction is that the three worlds continue to exist but
are made uninhabitable. The souls of individuals also continue to exist to be reincarnated in the next
daytime of Brahma.
Brahma Years
A year of Brahma is composed of 360 day/night cycles of Brahma, or 720 kalpas, or 8.64 billion human
years.
Brahma Life
The lifespan of Brahma is 100 Brahma years, or 72,000 kalpas, or 311.04 trillion human years.
At the end of the life of Brahma, all worlds are completely dissolved (mahapralaya).
Manvantaras
Another cycle that overlaps the others is that of manvantaras. Each kalpa is reigned over by a succession
of 14 Manus, and the reign of each Manu is called a manvantara. A single manvantara is approximately 71
maha yugas.
Each Manvantara is followed by a Deluge, which destroys the existings continents and swallows up all
living beings, except the few who are preserved for the repeopling of the earth."
Our Position
We are located in the fifty-first Brahma year of the life of our Brahma.
Within that Brahma year, we are in the first Brahma day, called the Varaha kalpa.
Within that Brahma day, we are in the seventh manvantara, and in the 28th maha yuga of that manvantara.
This would place us at about the 454th maha yuga of the 1,000 maha yugas that comprise this day of
Brahma.
Within this maha yuga, we are in Kali Yuga. The 5100th year of Kali Yuga will correspond to the year 2,000
A.D. That means that we are fairly early in Kali Yuga and this age will continue 426,000 more years.








THE HINDU THEORY OF WORLD CYCLES
In the Light of Modern Science
Traditional Hindu scriptures view history as cyclical in character, with vast repeating series of
ages. Each age has its own particular qualities. Interestingly, this system seems to be taken
literally by modern Yoga masters such as Swami Muktananda, Baba Hari Dass, Swami Vishnu
Tirtha, and so on. As a Western devotee, I found myself wondering exactly what the full system
of Hindu cycles is, and how it relates to the findings of modern science. Following is my attempt
to explain what I found out.
Traditional Puranic Model
The Hindu Puranas describe a number of cycles within cycles. Discussions of these cycles can
become confusing because different cycles are measured in different types of units. For example,
the cycles are often described in units of deva years, each of which equals 360 human years.
The following description starts with the smaller cycles and works up to the larger ones. The
length of each cycle is given in ordinary human (earth) years, as well other units where
appropriate. Large numbers are described using the conventions of American English: thus, a
million is a thousand thousand, a billion is a thousand million, a trillion is a thousand billion.
This description is based on numerous sources, which are given in the "References" section at
the end of this document.
Maha Yugas
The smallest cycle is called a maha yuga. A maha yuga is 4,320,000 human years. Each maha
yuga is subdivided into the following four ages, whose lengths follow a ratio of 4:3:2:1:
Satya Yuga (also called Krita Yuga)
This first age is 1,728,000 human years. Also known as the Golden Age or age of Truth. The
qualities of this age are: virtue reigns supreme; human stature is 21 cubits; lifespan is a lakh of
years, and death occurs only when willed.
Treta Yuga
This second age is 1,296,000 human years. Also known as the Silver Age. The qualities of this age
are: the climate is three quarters virtue and one quarter sin; human stature is 14 cubits; lifespan
is 10,000 years.
Dvapara Yuga
This third age is 864,000 human years. Also known as the Bronze Age. The qualities of this age
are: the climate is one half virtue and one half sin; lifespan is 1,000 years.
Kali Yuga
The fourth and last age is 432,000 human years. Also known as the Iron Age. This is the age in
which we are presently living. The qualities of this age are: the climate is one quarter virtue and
three quarters sin; human stature is 3.5 cubits; lifespan is 100 or 120 years.
Toward the end of a Kali Yuga, various calamities cause a good deal of destruction. Baba Hari
Dass states that creation disappears at the end of a Maha Yuga and remains in seed form inside
Brahma. However, other sources do not suggest anything so drastic; it is possible that Hari Dass
was really thinking of the end of Brahma's daytime or Brahma's life when he wrote this
description.
Brahma Days (Kalpas)
A kalpa is a single daytime period in the life of Brahma, the creator god. Two kalpas are a day
and a night of Brahma.
Each kalpa is composed of 1,000 maha yugas. A kalpa is thus equal to 4.32 billion human years.
At the end of Brahma's daytime period, the Three Worlds (Bhuloka, Bhuvarloka, Swarloka) and
the seven underworlds (of the nagas) are temporarily dissolved (pralaya); that is, the same folks
can be reincarnated when the next day of Brahma begins.
The Vishnu Purana states that at the end of the daytime period of Brahma, a dreadful drought
occurs that lasts 100 years, and all the waters are dried up. The sun changes into seven suns, and
the three worlds (Bhurloka or Earth, Bhuvarloka or the lowest heaven, and Svarloka or the next
higher heaven) and the underworlds are burned bare of life. The inhabitants of Bhuvarloka and
Svarkloka flee to the next higher heaven, Maharloka, to escape the heat; and then to the next
higher heaven, Janaloka.
Then mighty clouds form and the three worlds are completely flooded with water. The lord
Vishnu reposes on the waters in meditative rest for another whole kalpa (4.32 billion years)
before renewing the creation.
The destruction that takes place at the end of a daytime of Brahma is referred to as naimittika,
which is incidental or occasional. The characteristic of this destruction is that the three worlds
continue to exist but are made uninhabitable. The souls of individuals also continue to exist to be
reincarnated in the next daytime of Brahma.
Brahma Years
A year of Brahma is composed of 360 day/night cycles of Brahma, or 720 kalpas, or 8.64 billion
human years.
Brahma Life
The lifespan of Brahma is 100 Brahma years, or 72,000 kalpas, or 311.04 trillion human years.
At the end of the life of Brahma, all worlds are completely dissolved (mahapralaya). No one is
reincarnated from these worlds ever again.
Manvantaras
Another cycle that overlaps the others is that of manvantaras. Each kalpa is reigned over by a
succession of 14 Manus, and the reign of each Manu is called a manvantara. A single manvantara
is approximately 71 maha yugas.
Coomaraswamy states: "Each Manvantara is followed by a Deluge, which destroys the existings
continents and swallows up all living beings, except the few who are preserved for the
repeopling of the earth."
Our Position in History
We are located in the fifty-first Brahma year of the life of our Brahma.
Within that Brahma year, we are in the first Brahma day, called the Varaha kalpa.
Within that Brahma day, we are in the seventh manvantara, and in the 28th maha yuga of that
manvantara. This would place us at about the 454th maha yuga of the 1,000 maha yugas that
comprise this day of Brahma.
Within this maha yuga, we are in Kali Yuga. The 5100th year of Kali Yuga will correspond to
the year 2,000 A.D. That means that we are fairly early in Kali Yuga and this age will continue
more than 426,000 more years.
Variant Interpretations of Hindu Chronology
The "Traditional Puranic Model" described above is agreed upon by most authors on Hinduism
and Yoga. Six different authors, listed at the end of this paper, describe this model identically.
However, several other authors, some of them well-known Hindu teachers, have published
descriptions of the cycle of ages that differ from the traditional Puranic model. These variant
theories are described below.
Sri Yukteswar
In the introduction to his book The Holy Science, Sri Yukteswar describes an interesting variant
of the Hindu theory of ages. According to him,
...the sun, with its planets and their moons, takes some star for its dual and revolves around it in
about 24,000 years of our earth-a celestial phenomenon which causes the backward movement of
the equinoctial points around the zodiac. The sun also has another motion by which it revolves
round a grand center called Vishnunabhi, which is the seat of the creative power, Brahma, the
universal magnetism. Brahma regulates dharma, the mental virtue of the internal world.
Yukteswar goes on to explain that the sun's 24,000 year revolution around its companion star
takes the sun progressively closer, and then progressively further away from the mystic center
Vishnunabhi. In his system, dharma increases as we approach Vishnunabhi and decreases as we
draw away from it. The cycle of yugas takes place twice in each 24,000 year revolution. As the
sun recedes from Vishnunabhi, the ages pass in the usual order: Satya, Treta, Dvapara, Kali. As
the sun approaches Vishnunabhi, the ages pass in the opposite order: Kali, Dvapara, Treta, Satya.
The length of the yugas is: Satya Yuga, 4800 years; Treta Yuga, 3600 years; Dwapara Yuga,
2400 years; and Kali Yuga, 1200 years. The yugas during the approach to Vishnunabhi he calls
'ascending' yugas; those during the retreat from Vishnunabhi he calls 'descending' yugas. The
most recent ascending Kali Yuga began in 499 A.D. Since 1599 A.D. we have been in the
ascending Dwapara Yuga, with consequent advances in human culture and knowledge.
Yukteswar goes on to say that the Hindu almanacs, which correspond to the traditional Puranic
model described previously, are in error. The error crept in during the dark years of Kali Yuga
when scholars misinterpreted the scriptures. Regarding the conventional view that we are
currently in Kali Yuga, Yukteswar says flatly that it is not true.
Yukteswar's model thus differs from the traditional in the following respects:
A cycle of four yugas takes 24,000 years instead of 4,320,000.
The yugas alternate between ascending and descending trends instead of always proceeding in
the same order. This alternation becomes necessary once you posit that the ages result from
our changing distance from Vishnunabhi, rather than a deliberate divine intervention at the end
of Kali Yuga.
The greater cycles like kalpas, manvantars, and lifespan of Brahma go unmentioned.
Paramahansa Yogananda
Paramahansa Yogananda was a disciple of Sri Yukteswar and one of the best-known Hindu
teachers ever to visit the West. He wrote the perrenial bestseller Autobiography of a Yogi.
In the latter book, Yogananda describes and endorses Yukteswar's theory of world cycles.
However, in a footnote, Yogananda adds the following:
The Hindu scriptures place the present world-age as occurring within the Kali Yuga of a much
longer universal cycle than the simple 24,000 year ecquinoctial cycle with which Sri Yukteswar
was concerned. The universal cycle of the scriptures of 4,300,560,000 years in extent, and
measures out a Day of Creation. This vast figure is based on the relationship between the length
of the
solar
year and a multiple of pi (3.1416, the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of a circle).
The life span for a whole universe, according to the ancient seers, is 314,159,000,000,000 solar
years, or "One Age of Brahma."
The Hindu scriptures declare that an earth such as ours is dissolved for one of two reasons: the
inhabitants as a whole become either completely good or completely evil. The world mind thus
generates a power that releases the captive atoms held together as an earth.
This statement seems at first to reconcile Yukteswar's theory with the traditional view, but in fact
actually contradicts both.
Regarding Yukteswar's theory, in his own writing he clearly states that the traditional Hindu
almanacs are in error and suggests how the error came about. He states that the length of the
yugas, given in ordindary years in the scriptures, were misinterpreted by later scholars as being
counted in units of "deva years" which are much longer. This method led the scholars to believe
that the yugas are much longer than they really are. Yukteswar's theory is thus clearly intended to
replace, not to supplement, the traditional interpretation.
Regarding the "much longer universal cycle" that Yogananda describes, he states that a Day of
Creation is 4,300,560,000 years. This is close but not identical to the traditional number, which is
4,320,000,000 years. Similarly, Yogananda gives 314,159,000,000,000 years the the life of
Brahma, whereas traditionally the number is slightly different: 311,040,000,000,000 years. It
seems likely that Yogananda arrived at these different figures because he wanted to derive them
from some multiple of the ratio pi. The exact manner in which pi enters into the calculation is,
unfortunately, not explained in his footnote.
David Frawley
David Frawley is a Westerner who has become a scholar of Vedic scriptures, Jyotish (Indian
astrology), and Ayurveda (Indian medicine). He has written a number of books on various
aspects of Vedic culture and wisdom.
Like Yogananda, Frawley adopts Yukteswar's 24,000 year maha yuga and views it as a smaller
cycle within the larger maha yugas described traditionally. Frawley likewise introduces some
twists in the way he interprets both the smaller and the larger cycle.
With regard to the 24,000 year cycle, Frawley begins like Yukteswar by ascribing the cycle to
the sun's revolution around a companion star. Frawley says that this revolution varies the amount
of cosmic light we receive from the galactic center. Thus, he seems to have identified
Yukteswar's Vishnunabhi with the center of the
galaxy
, which Yukteswar never explicitly does. Still, it is a plausible interpretation.
Unfortunately, a 24,000 year orbit would make only a negligible difference in our sun's distance
from the galactic center, which is at a vast remove from us. Presumably because of this, Frawley
abandons Yukteswar's notion that it is our varying distance from Vishnunabhi that causes the
cycles of yugas. Instead, he posits that our companion star is a dark star, and when it passes
between us and Vishnunabhi, tends to eclipse some of the cosmic light from that source, thus
causing the decline into the less inspired ages like Kali Yuga.
In describing the greater cycle, Frawley states
The greater cycle consists of 8,640,000 years, and what it corresponds to astronomically is not
now known. In this cycle we are in a dark or Iron age, whose duration is 432,000 years. Exactly
when it began or when it will end are not clearly known either. (Some begin it at 3102 B.C. but
this is just to confuse it with the beginning of the Bronze age or the dark half of the lesser cycle.)
In this passage, Frawley gives the traditional length for Kali yuga while giving double the
traditional length for the cycle as a whole. Why? Presumably he considers that the greater cycle
follows the same pattern as the lesser, with both ascending and descending yugas. Thus a full
cycle would consist of Satya-Treta-Dvapara-Kali-Kali-Dvapara-Treta-Satya. Presumably also the
whole cycle follows as a result of our overall revolution around some object more distant than
the "companion star" or "dark star."
Alain Danielou
Alain Danielou has written a number of books on the spiritual traditions of India. In the
book While the Gods Play, he
quotes
the Linga Purana and derives numbers from it much different than those in the traditional
interpretation described previously. In this version, the life span of the gods is 4,320,000 human years.
This period is divided into 71.42 manvantaras. Each manvantara is divided into the four yugas: Satya,
Treta, Dvapara, and Kali. As a result, the length of these yugas is as follows:
Satya (or Krita) Yuga: 24,195 human years.
Treta Yuga: 18,146 human years.
Dvapara Yuga: 12,097 human years.
Kali Yuga: 6,048,72 human years.
By Danielou's reckoning, Kali Yuga began in 3012 B.C. and will end in 2442 A.D. By that point,
the last traces of the present human race will have disappeared. We are supposed to be the
seventh manifestation of the human race; the previous ones appeared in 419,964 B.C.; 359,477
B.C.; 298,990 B.C.; 238,503 B.C.; 178,016 B.C.; and 118,529 B.C. Our race appeared in 58,042
B.C., which according to Danielou corresponds to the advent of Cro-Magnon man. Danielou also
suggests that Neanderthal man might be the race that precedes ours.
Danielou's version thus differs from the usual theory in the following ways:
He takes 4,320,000 as the lifespan of the gods, rather than the length of a maha yuga.
He divides the 4,320,000 period into 71.42 manvantaras, rather than dividing a kalpa into 14
manvantaras. His manvantaras are thus much shorter than in the usual version.
He states that each manvantara contains a single mahayuga, instead of the usual 71 maha
yugas. His maha yugas are thus much shorter than in the usual version.
Danielou makes a couple of other comments worth mentioning. On the subject of why the
scriptures portray a year as 360 days in length, he states
The number of days in a year is not constant. The rhythm of the earth's rotation varies over very
long periods. A figure of 360 is considered to be the average.
In referring to the cyclical nature of the ages, Danielou also makes the following very interesting
statement:
The circle is an illusion, for the cosmic mechanism is in reality always formed of spirals.
Nothing ever returns to its point of departure. However, the circle does give us a simplified
image.
Unfortunately, he does not expand on this concept any further.
Rishi Singh Gerwal
Rishi Singh Gerwal was the author and apparently also the publisher of a small pamphlet on
ancient prophecies, published in Santa Barbara in the 1940s. The pamphlet contains translations
of various prophetic portions of the Mahabharata.
In the Introduction, Gerwal gives the following numbers:
1 kalpa = 22 septillion, 394 sextillion, 880 quadtillion human years.
1 kalpa = 2 manvantaras (traditionally this would be 14 manvantaras)
1 manvantara = 71 maha yugas (this is the same as the traditional reckoning)
Gerwal goes on to give the traditional lengths for the Satya, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali Yugas. He
then states that the present Kali yuga has 210,000 years to go. He also states that
22,394,880,000,000,000,000,000,000 years have already passed since the start of the kalpa.
Since this number is the same one he gave as the length of a kalpa, we are presumably at the very
end of this present kalpa.
Oddly enough, if you multiply maha yugas of 4,320,000 years times 71 to make a manvantara
and then times 2 to make a kalpa, the result is only 613,440,000 years rather than the 22
septillion Gerwal states as his total.
The 22 septillion number is far greater than the traditional length of a kalpa, and the statement
that 2 manvantaras make a kalpa is far fewer than the traditional number of 14.
Yugas and Science
If we restrict our attention to the traditional interpretation, we find that it makes a number of
significant predictions that can be compared with the findings of modern science.
Great Culture Preceded Us
Beginning about 3,894,000 years ago, there is supposed to have been a great civilisation in which
people were happier, taller, and much longer lived than they are today.
By contrast, scientists currently believe that homo sapiens evolved from more primitive forbears
about 300,000 to 400,000 years ago. Humanity is supposed to have domesticated plants about
12,000 years ago, and animals shortly thereafter. Prior to that point, humans are thought to have
been hunter-gatherers and possibly scavengers.
The scientific view is based on fossil evidence. The mystery is how an advanced civilization
posited by the Hindu theory could have vanished without leaving any trace for us to find.
Cyclic Catastrophes
A number of periodic catastrophes are described in the Hindu scriptures:
At the end of each Kali Yuga, some type of destruction takes place. The most recent instance
would be a bit under 4 million years ago. Other instances should be found every 4,320,000 years
before that.
At the end of each manvantara, a great flood wipes out most life on earth. The most recent
occurrence would be 120,534,000 years ago. Other instances would occur at intervals of
306,720,000 years.
At the end of the kalpa, all life on earth is destroyed. The most recent instance would be
2,267,574,000 years ago.
At the end of a life of Brahma, the entire universe and all its heavens and hells are destroyed.
The current universe would have come into existence more than 150 billion years ago.
Interestingly, current scientific research does support the existence of occasional mass
extinctions in earth's history. These include the following major extinctions:
At the Ordovician/Silurian transition, about 425 million years ago.
Near the Devonian/Carboniferous transition, about 345 million years ago.
At the Permian/Triassic transition, about 230 million years ago.
At the Triassic/Jurassic transition, about 180 million years ago.
At the Cretaceous/Tertiary transition, about 63 million years ago.
Additionally, some scientists have identified what they believe is a cycle of periodic mass
extinctions occurring every 26 million years.
Unfortunately, none of these specified dates corresponds to the catastrophes called for by the
Hindu theory.
Current scientific estimates of the age of the universe range from 7 billion to 20 billion years. By
contrast, the Hindu theory calls for a universe more than 150 billion years old.
On the other hand, the dates ascribed by scientists to the various geologic periods have been
revised a number of times on the basis of new evidence, and could possibly be revised again in
the future. Further, cosmology could reasonably be described as an infant science, and the age it
ascribes to the universe as a whole might also change on the basis of new theories and evidence.
Downward Trend
By far the greater divergence from modern science is in the overall pattern of the Hindu theory.
The Hindu and scientific patterns differ in the following ways:
The main pattern in the Hindu theory is one of cycles.
In the Hindu theory, life follows a downward trend most of the time, from the finest age to the
worst. At the end of the worst age, Kali Yuga, divine intervention rapidly destroys the wicked
and restores everything to its pristine state.
In the Hindu theory, humanity is always present. The concept of evolution is confined to
spiritual evolution; that is, each soul takes life in a series of lower to higher animal forms before
finally incarnating as a human being.
By contrast, the fossil record of life on earth indicates that life began with very simple forms and
later developed more complex organisms. The advent of humanity appears to be an extremely
recent development when compared to the history of life on earth. Humanity itself does not
appear to have existed long enough to have participated in the vast cycles of ages posited by
Hindu theory.
Conclusion
There is no scientific support for the Hindu theory of world cycles. Further, current scientific
theory contradicts Hindu theory in many respects. It is best to begin by acknowledging this truth,
as such an acknowledgement can form the basis for interesting discussions of the different ways
of knowing that underly the more specific differences. Such, however, must be the substance of
another paper.

References
Traditional Puranic Chronology
(Anonymous), Introduction to Kashmir Shaivism. S.Y.D.A. Foundation, Oakland, California,
1977. See pp. 69-70.
Ananda K. Coomaraswamy & Sister Nivedita, Myths of the Hindus and Buddhists. Dover
Publications,
Inc
., New York, 1967. See pp. 392-395.
Baba Hari Dass, Silence Speaks. Sri Rama Foundation, Santa Cruz, California, 1977. See pp. 79-
80.
Cornelia Dimmitt & J.A.B. van Buitenen, Classical Hindu Mythology: A Reader in the Sanskrit
Puranas. Rupa & Co., Calcutta etc., 1983. See pp. 19-24, 36-43.
Swami Vishnu Tirtha Maharaj, Devatma Shakti (Kundalini): Divine Power. Pub. Swami Shivom
Tirth, 1962. See pp. 29-30.
W. J. Wilkins, Hindu Mythology. Rupa & Co., Calcutta etc., 1983. See pp. 353-360.
Variant Interpretations of Hindu Chronology
Alain Danielou, While the Gods Play: Shaiva Oracles and Predictions on the Cycles of History
and the Destiny of Mankind. Inner Traditions International, Rochester, Vermont, 1987. See pp.
194-199.
David Frawley, Vedic Astrology Correspondence Course, Part I, Section 1. Vedic Research
Center, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 1986. See pp. 16-18.
Rishi Singh Grewal, World Prophecies: Dictators and Taxation Foretold in Ancient Hindu
Philosophy, pub. Rishi Singh Grewal, Santa Barbara, California, 1941. Esp. pp. 1-5.
Paramahansa Yogananda, Autobiography of a Yogi. Self-Realization Fellowship, Los Angeles,
1979. See pp. 193-194.
Jnanavatar Swami Sri Yukteswar Giri, The Holy Science: Kaivalya Darsanam. Self-Realization
Fellowship, Los Angeles, 1984. See pp. 7-20.
Summaries of Scientific Theory
Funk & Wagnall's New Encycopedia, 1986 revision. Various articles.
Rick Gore, "Extinctions," National Geographic, June 1989.

Kalpa, 18 Definition(s)
'Kalpa' belongs in these categories: Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism, Jainism, Pali


18 DEFINITION(S):
Periodic manifestations and dissolutions of universes which go on etemally. Great kalpas consist of four
asamkhiya kalpas corresponding to childhood. maturity, old age and the death of the universe.
Added: 01.Jun.2008 | Source: Buddhism Study and Practice Group: Buddhism Glossary
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An aeon, world cycle.
Added: 21.Jun.2008 | Source: Chez Paul: A Buddhist Glossary
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Kalpa in Sanskrit, Kappa in Pali. It is a fabulous period of four hundred and thirty two million years of mortals,
measuring the duration of world. It is the period of time between other creation and recreation of a world or
universe. The four kalpas of formation, existence, destruction and emptiness as a complete period, is called
maha kalpa or great kalpas. Each great kalpa is subdivided into four asamkhyeya kalpas or kalpas. Each of the
four kalpas is subdivided into twenty antara kalpas, or small kalpas. There are different distinctions and
illustrations of kalpas. In general, a small kalpa is represented as 16,800,000 years, a kalpa as 336,000,000
years and a mahakalpa is 1,334,000,000 years.
Added: 27.Sep.2008 | Source: Buddhist Door: Glossary
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Periodic manifestations and dissolutions of universes which go on eternally. Great kalpas consist of four
asamkhiya kalpas corresponding to childhood, maturity, old age and the death of the universe.
Added: 27.Sep.2008 | Source: Oblivion's Blog: Heart Sutra
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1. Kappa - One of Bavaris disciples. The questions he asked of the Buddha are recorded in the
Kappamanavapuccha (q.v.). He became an arahant. Sn.vv.1007, 1092-5; SnA.ii.597.
2. Kappa Thera - An arahant. He was the son of a provincial governor in Magadha and was addicted to self
indulgence. The Buddha, seeing him in his net of wisdom, visited him and admonished him, speaking to him of
the filthy nature of the body, illustrating his sermon with a wealth of simile and metaphor. Kappa was greatly
impressed and joined the Order. He became an arahant, as his head was being shaved. In the time of the
Buddha Siddhattha he was a rich householder, and offered at the Buddhas shrine a kapparukkha containing
objects of great value. Wherever he was born celestial trees grew outside his door. Seven kappas ago he was
eight times king under the name of Sucela (Thag.567-76; ThagA.i.521ff). He is probably identical with
Kapparukkhiya of the Apadana. Ap.i.91.
3. Kappa - In the Samyutta Nikaya (S.iii.169f) two suttas are connected with a monk called Kappa, who is
probably identical with Kappa (2). In both suttas he asks the Buddha how it is possible to cultivate knowledge
and thought so as to be free from thoughts of I and mine with regard to the body. The same questions, receiving
the same answers, are elsewhere attributed to Rahula. S.ii.253f.
4. Kappa - A young brahmin (Kappakamara) who was the Bodhisatta. He later became a sage and the disciple
and friend of Kesava. For his story see the Kesava Jataka (J.iii.142ff). The story is also referred to in the
Bakabrahma Jataka (J.iii.361; DhA.i.342f), and mentioned in the Samyutta Nikaya (S.i.144; SA.i.164; MA.i.555),
where Bakabrahma is identified with Kappas teacher, Kesava. v.l. Kappaka.
5. Kappa - See Nigrodha Kappa.
Added: 12.Apr.2009 | Source: Pali Kanon: Pali Proper Names
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A Kalpa denotes a great period of time; a period during which a physical universe is formed and destroyed.
Asankhyeya denotes the highest sum for which a conventional term exists:
According to Chinese calculations equal to one followed by seventeen ciphers;
According to Thibetan and Singhalese, equal to one followed by ninety-seven ciphers.
Every Maha-kalpa consists of four Asankhyeya-kalpas. Eitel, p. 15.
Added: 21.Feb.2010 | Source: eBooks@Adelaide: A Record of Buddhistic Kingdoms
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(Skr) = kappa).
-- or --
(Sanskrit kalpa): 'world-period', an inconceivably long space of time, an aeon. This again is subdivided into 4
sections:
world-dissolution (samvatta-kappa) dissolving world),
continuation of the chaos (samvatta-tthy),
world-formation (vivatta-kappa),
continuation of the formed world (vivatta-tthy).
"How long a world-dissolution will continue, how long the chaos, how long the formation, how long the
continuation of the formed world, of these things; o monks, one hardly can say that it will be so many years, or
so many centuries, or so many millennia, or so many hundred thousands of years" (A.IV.156)
A detailed description of the 4 world-periods is given in that stirring discourse on the all -embracing
impermanence in A.VII.62.
The beautiful simile in S.XV.5 may be mentioned here: "Suppose, o monks, there was a huge rock of one solid
mass, one mile long, one mile wide, one mile high, without split or flaw. And at the end of every hundred years
a man should come and rub against it once with a silken cloth. Then that huge rock would wear off and
disappear quicker than a world-period. But of such world-periods, o monks, many have passed away, many
hundreds, many thousands, many hundred thousands. And how is this possible? Inconceivable, o monks, is this
samsra, not to be discovered is any first beginning of beings, who obstructed by ignorance and ensnared by
craving, are hurrying and hastening through this round of rebirths."
Compare here Grimm's German fairy-tale of the little shepherd boy: 'In Farther Pommerania there is the
diamond-mountain, one hour high, one hour wi de, one hour deep. There every hundred years a little bird comes
and whets its little beak on it. And when the whole mountain is ground off, then the first second of eternity has
passed."
Added: 06.Jun.2010 | Source: Pali Kanon: Manual of Buddhist Terms and Doctrines
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Originally, a kalpa was considered to be 4,320,000 years.
Added: 19.Dec.2010 | Source: Wisdom Library: Indian Philosophy
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Kalpa Skt.; world cycle, world age (Pali, kappa); term for an endlessly long period of time, which is the basis of
Buddhist time reckoning. The length of a kalpa is illustrated by the following simile: suppose that every hundred
years a piece of silk is rubbed once on a solid rock one cubic mile in size; when the rock is worn away by this,
one kalpa will still not have passed.
A kalpa is divided into four parts: the arising of a universe, the continuation of the arisen universe, the demise
of that universe, the continuation of chaos. In the period of the arising of a universe, individual worlds with their
sentient beings are formed. In the second period sun and moon come into being, the sexes are distinguished,
and social life develops. In the phase of universal demise, fire, water, and wind destroy almost everything. The
period of chaos is that of total annihilation. a
Added: 23.Jul.2011 | Source: Shambala Publications: General
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Kalpa; an aeon, a vast period of time related to the different phases of a great universe (or trichiliocosm),
according to Abhidharma literature.
Also see mahakalpa (combined period of 4 medium kalpas).
etymology: Kalpa (Skt.; Tib. , Wyl. bskal pa)
Added: 26.May.2013 | Source: Rigpa Shedra: An Online Encyclopedia of Tibetan Buddhism
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kalpa (Sanskrit: "period of time; or a cycle of time.") from a verb-root klrip (to be in order) a sequence of one
thousand mahayugas is called a kalpa which is one day in the life of Brahma. The universe exists during
Brahma's day and is dissolved during Brahma's night.
Sometimes a kalpa is called the period of a mahamanvantara - or "great manvantara" - after which the globes of
a planetary chain no longer go into obscuration or repose, as they periodically do, but die utterly. A kalpa is also
called a Day of Brahma, and its length is 4,320,000,000 years. Seven rounds form a Day of Brahma, or a
planetary manvantara.
Added: 24.Jun.2013 | Source: Vedic Knowledge Online: Hinduism
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1. Kalpa is one of the six disciplines of Vedanga, treating ritual. Tradition does not single out any special work in
this branch of the Vedanga; but sacrificial practice gave rise to a large number of systematic sutras for the
several classes of priests.
2. Kalpa is a Sanskrit word (Hindi: kalpa) meaning an aeon, or a relatively long period of time (by human
calculation) in Hindu and Buddhist cosmology. The concept is first mentioned in the Mahabharata. The definition
of a kalpa equaling 4.32 billion years is found in the Puras (specifically Vinu Pura and Bhagavata Pura).
3. In Hinduism (cf. Hindu Time Cycles), it is equal to 4.32 billion years, a "day of Brahma" or one thousand
mahayugas, measuring the duration of the world (scientists estimate the age of the Earth at 4.54 billion years).
Each kalpa is divided into 14 manvantara periods, each lasting 71 yuga cycles (306,720,000 years). Preceding
the first and following each manvatara period is a juncture (sandhya) the length of a Satya-yuga (1,728,000)
years. Two kalpas constitute a day and night of Brahma. A "month of Brahma" is supposed to contain thirty such
days (including nights), or 259.2 billion years. According to the Mahabharata, 12 months of Brahma (=360 days)
constitute his year, and 100 such years the life cycle of the universe. Fifty years of Brahma are supposed to
have elapsed, and we are now in the shvetavaraha-kalpa of the fifty-first; at the end of a Kalpa the world is
annihilated.
4. The duration of the material universe is limited. It is manifested in cycles of kalpas. A kalpa is a day of
Brahm, and one day of Brahm consists of a thousand cycles of four yugas, or ages: Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga,
Dvapara Yuga and Kali Yuga. The names of 30 Kalpas are found in the Matsya Pura (290.3-12). These are:
1. veta
2. Nlalohita
3. Vmadeva
4. Rathantara
5. Raurava
6. Deva
7. Vhat
8. Kandarpa
9. Sadya
10. Ina
11. Tamah
12. Srasvata
13. Udna
14. Gruda
15. Kaurma
16. Nrasiha
17. Samna
18. gneya
19. Soma
20. Mnava
21. Tatpumn
22. Vaikuha
23. Lakm
24. Svitr
25. Aghora
26. Varha
27. Vairaja
28. Gaur
29. Mhevara and
30. Pit
The Vyu Pura in chapter 21 gives a different list of 28 kalpas. It also lists five more kalpas in the next
chapter.
Added: 17.Jul.2013 | Source: WikiPedia: Hinduism
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1. According to Visuddhimagga, there are several explanations for types of kalpas and their duration. In the first
explanation, there are four types:
1. Ayu-Kalpa - a variable time span representing the life expectancy of a typical human being in a
particular era or yuga. This can be as high as one Asankya or as small as 10 years. This number is
directly proportional to the level of virtue of people in that era. Currently this value hovers around 100
years and is continually decreasing.
2. Antah-Kalpa - the time it takes for one Ayu-Kalpa to grow from 10 years up to one Asankya and back
to 10 years. The ending of one Antah-Kalpa (or mass-extinction) can happen in one of three ways, all
involving the majority of the human population going extinct:
1. Sashthrantha-Kalpa - Mass extinction by wars.
2. Durbhikshantha-Kalpa - Mass extinction by hunger.
3. Rogantha-Kalpa - Mass extinction by plague.
3. Asankya-Kalpa - time span of 20 Antah-Kalpas. One is equivalent to a quarter of Maha-Kalpa.
4. Maha-Kalpa - largest time unit in Buddhism. Ending of a Maha-Kalpa (apocalypse) can happen in three
ways: fire, water and wind. It is divided into four quarters each equivalent t o one Asankya-Kalpa.
1. First quarter - time taken for this world to form.
2. Second quarter - stable duration of this world where all living beings can thrive.
3. Third quarter - time taken for this world to be destroyed.
4. Fourth quarter - empty time period.
2. In another simple explanation, there are four different lengths of kalpas. A regular kalpa is approximately 16
million years long (16,798,000 years), and a small kalpa is 1000 regular kalpas, or about 16 billion years.
Further, a medium kalpa is roughly 320 billion years, the equivalent of 20 small kalpas. A great kalpa is 4
medium kalpas, or around 1.28 trillion years.
Added: 29.Jul.2014 | Source: WikiPedia: Buddhism
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kappa : (m.) 1. a world cycle; an aeon; 2. thought. (adj.), suitable; proper; resembling. (in cpds.).
Added: 03.Aug.2014 | Source: BuddhaSasana: Concise Pali-English Dictionary
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Lord Brahma's one day is called a kalpa, the creation of Brahma is called vikalpa and the creation of the total
creation is called mahakalpa.

In the Skanda Purana, Brahma's thirty days are mentioned:
1. Sveta Varaha Kalpa
2. Nilalohita Kalpa
3. Vamadeva Kalpa
4. Gathantara Kalpa
5. Raurava Kalpa
6. Prana Kalpa
7. Brhat Kalpa
8. Kandarpa Kalpa
9. Sadyata Kalpa
10. Isana Kalpa
11. Dhyana Kalpa
12. Sarasvata Kalpa
13. Udana Kalpa
14. Garuda Kalpa
15. Kaurma Kalpa
16. Narasimha Kalpa
17. Samadhi Kalpa
18. Agneya Kalpa
19. Visnuja Kalpa
20. Saura Kalpa
21. Soma Kalpa
22. Bhavana Kalpa
23. Supuma Kalpa
24. Vaikuntha Kalpa
25. Arcisa Kalpa
26. Vali Kalpa
27. Vairaja Kalpa
28. Gauri Kalpa
29. Mahesvara Kalpa
30. Paitr Kalpa
Each day of Brahma is a duration of one thousand divya yugas. A divya yuga comprises of one thousand of the
four yugas. The same duration comprises his night.
Added: 06.Sep.2014 | Source: Vedic Knowledge Online: Creation and Annihilation of the Universe
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The ancient Indian tradition holds Eternity, to be a never-ending cycle of transient and finite periods of Time,
called the Kalpa. The Kalpa was subdivided into units measured on two scales, one cosmic and the other human.
The Kalpa itself was but a cosmic day in the life of Brahma the Creator, who himself had a finite life span of 100
cosmic years. Each cosmic year was comprised of 300 cosmic days and 300 cosmic nights. The Universe was
created by Brahma at the beginning of each cosmic day and dissolved at the beginning of each cosmic night.
How does the cosmic day relate to the human day ? The cosmic day, or Kalpa, is equal to 4.32 billion years on
the human scale as explained below.
The Kalpa is divided into 14 Manvantaras, each ruled on behalf of Brahma, by a Manu.The following is the
sequence of the Manvantaras :
1. Swayambhuva
2. Swarochisha
3. Uttama
4. Taamasa
5. Raivata
6. Chaakshusha
7. Vaivasvata (current)
8. Savarni
9. Daksha savarni
10. Brahma savarni
11. Dharma savarni
12. Rudra savarni
13. Deva savarni
14. Indra savarni
Each of the 14 Manvantaras is divided into 71 Mayayugas and are separated from one another by an interval
called a Sandhya. There are thus 15 separating Sandhyas which together last 6 Mahayugas. Thus the total
duration of the Kalpa is (14 x 71) + 6 ie 1000 Mahayugas.
Each Mahayuga breaks up to a repetitive sequence of 4 Yugas, viz Satya (or Krita),Treta, Dvapara and Kali Yuga.
atya (Krita) 17,28,000 years
Treta 12,96,000 years
Dvapara 8,64,000 years
Kali 4,32,000 years
-----------------------
Total 43,20,000 years
-----------------------
Added: 06.Sep.2014 | Source: Vidya vrikshah: Indian concept of time
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The four yugas are calculated in terms of the heavenly calendars and accordingly are twelve thousand years in
terms of the heavenly planets. This is called a divya-yuga, and one thousand divya-yugas make one day of
Brahm.
The creation during the day of Brahm is called kalpa, and the creation of Brahm is called vikalpa. When
vikalpas are made possible by the breathing of Mah-Vis n u, this is called a mah-kalpa. There are regular and
systematic cycles of these mah-kalpas, vikalpas and kalpas.
The thirty kalpas of Brahm are:
1. veta-kalpa,
2. Nlalohita,
3. Vmadeva,
4. Gthntara,
5. Raurava,
6. Prn a,
7. Br hat-kalpa,
8. Kandarpa,
9. Sadyotha,
10. na,
11. Dhyna,
12. Srasvata,
13. Udna,
14. Garud a,
15. Kaurma,
16. Nrasim ha,
17. Samdhi,
18. gneya,
19. Vis n uja,
20. Saura,
21. Soma-kalpa,
22. Bhvana,
23. Supuma,
24. Vaikun t ha,
25. rcis a,
26. Val-kalpa,
27. Vairja,
28. Gaur-kalpa,
29. Mhevara,
30. Paitr -kalpa.
Added: 06.Sep.2014 | Source: VedaBase: rmad Bhgavatam
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One Brahma's day is one Kalpa made up of one thousand Yugas or periods. One night of Brahma is one Kalpa
made up of one thousand Yugas or periods. Therefore, there are two thousand Yugas in one Brahma's day and
night. In earthly terms, these two thousand Yugas are 8,640,000,000 years long (8.64 billion man-years.) There
are four kinds of Yugas: Krta or Satya, Treta, Dvpara, and Kali. ccording to Srimad Bhagavatam Book three,
Krita Yuga had the highest Dharma (righteousness), which diminished progressively by a quarter in the
subsequent Yugas with proportional increase in Adharma (unrighteousness). Dharma consists of four limbs:
austere penance, internal and external purity, compassion, and truthfulness.
Added: 09.Sep.2014 | Source: bhagavadgitausa.com: Creation and Dissolution
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- MORE RELEVANT DEFINITIONS:
Search found: 25 related definition(s) for 'Kalpa'. Below are the 15 most relevant articles:
Mah-Kalpa A mah-kalpa is equal to 300,000 saras and one sara is the time
required to e...
2 desc.
Kalpa Stra Kalpa Strs deal with the rules, regulations and austerities of yaja, the
g...
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veta Vrha Kalpa First of the 30 Kalpas (days of Brahma). We are now presiding in the
shvetava...
1 desc.
Asamkhiya Kalpa Term related to the Buddhist metaphysics of time. Each of the periodic
manifesta...
1 desc.
World A world is a juncture of time and realm. Time refers to the thr... 2 desc.
Brahma A divine being of the Form Sphere or the Formless Sphere, Happy and
blameless ce...
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Brahma World The mental state of the devas of the Brahma worlds corresponds to the
first dhya...
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Temporal Cosmology Buddhist temporal cosmology describes how the universe comes into
being and is d...
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Manvantara 1) Manvantara is the period of astronomical time within an aeon or
Kalpa, (a ...
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vedga The Vedanga (vedga, "limbs of the Veda") are six auxiliary discip... 1 desc.
Kashyapa Buddha Kashyapa was the third Buddha to appear in this world and turn
the Wheel ...
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Kappa Kappaadjn (Skkalpasee kappeti for etym& formation)
anything made with a ...
1 desc.
Kappa Sutta 1. Kappa Sutta - Two suttas where Kappa Thera - see Kappa (3) - asks
the Buddh...
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Earthly Realms Earthly Realms Manusyaloka (Tib: mi) and This is the world of
humans...
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Vaivasvata Manu Vaivasvata Manu ( ): Vaivasvata Manu (also Manu Vaivasvate)
is one of ...
1 desc.
- FIND THE MEANING OF THIS WORD IN OTHER TEXT:
Search found: 328 books containing 'Kalpa'. Below are the 20 most relevant pages:
The Brahma Purana > Manvantaras Hinduism
r Sanatkumara-sahita > Text 62 Hinduism
r Bhad-bhgavatmta > ... > Verse 1.1.73 Hinduism
r Sanatkumara-sahita > Text 196 Hinduism
r Sanatkumara-sahita > Text 279 Hinduism
r Sanatkumara-sahita > Text 105 Hinduism
pastamba Dharmastra > Prana II, Paala 4, Khaa 8 Hinduism
The Vishnu Purana > ... > 17. The Grua Pura Hinduism
r Sanatkumara-sahita > Text 12 Hinduism
r Bhad-bhgavatmta > ... > Verse 1.2.2 Hinduism
r Hari-bhakti-kalpa-latik > ... > Text 10 Hinduism
r Hari-bhakti-kalpa-latik > ... > Text 47 Hinduism
r Hari-bhakti-kalpa-latik > ... > Text 4 Hinduism
r Bhad-bhgavatmta > ... > Verse 2.2.26 Hinduism
The Vishnu Purana > ... > 6. The Naradya Pura Hinduism
The Vishnu Purana > ... > Chapter VI Hinduism
Vednta-stras Part I > ... > I, 3, 30 Hinduism
The Vishnu Purana > ... > Chapter III Hinduism
The Vishnu Purana > ... > 3. The Viu Pura Hinduism
The Lotus Sutra > Prediction Buddhism