Devi Mandir

Temple of Divine Mother

Yugas and Manvantaras

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Narayana gives the divisions of time from the minutest, namely the Lava to the duration of Brahma’s life (or a period of 36,000 days and nights, each of 8,640,000,000 human years duration). The units of time are as follows:

  • 1 Lava = the time it takes to pierce the film on a lotus leaf with a needle.
  • 30 Lavas = 1 Truti.
  • 30 Trutis = 1 Kalaa.
  • 30 Kalaas = 1 Kaashthaa.
  • 30 Kaashthaas = 1 Nimesha (blink of an eye).
  • 8 Nimeshas = 1 Maatraa which is equal to one breath (Shvaasa).
  • 360 Shvaasas = 1 Danda or Naadikaa.
  • 2 Naadikaas = 1 Murhuurtta.
  • 30 Muhuurtas = 1 day and night.
  • 30 days and nights = 1 month.
  • 12 months = 1 human year.
  • 1 human year = 1 day and night of the Devas.
  • 360 days of the Devas = 1 celestial year.
  • 12,000 celestial years = 1 Kalpa (Four Yugas).
  • 1,000 Kalpas = 1 day of Brahma.
  • 1,000 Kalpas = 1 night of Brahma.
  • 30 such days and nights of Brahma = 1 month of Brahma.
  • 12 months of Brahma = 1 year of Brahma.
  • 100 years of Brahma = the period of the life of Brahma.
  • The duration of Brahmaa’s life = that of the outgoing breath(nishvaasa) of Kaala, (Narayana).

– Prapanchasara Tantra, p. 8

The duration of Satya Yuga is 1,728,000 years.Three fourths of of this period. 1,296,000 years is the duration of Treta Yuga.Half of the duration of Satya Yuga, 864,000, is the duration of Dvapara, and a fourth of it, 432,000 years, is the duration of Kali Yuga.4,320,000 years is the duration of a Kalpa, one revolution of the four Yugas.

– Tantraraja Tantra, p. 46

  • A Manvantara is 1/14th part of a day of Brahma.
  • 71 Kalpas (71 times the four Yugas) = 1 Manvantara.
  • 14 Manvantaras = 1,000 Kalpas = 1 day of Brahma.

Each Manvantara is presided over by one Manu, the manifestation of the predominant attitude of mind for that period.We are now in the Eighth Manvantara. There have been eight Manus that have manifested so far:

  1. Svayambhubha
  2. Svarochisa
  3. Uttama
  4. Tamasa
  5. Raivata
  6. Chakshusa
  7. Vaivashvata
  8. Savarni

Savarni is the Manu of the present Manvantara. The Chandi Path tells the story of how he became the Manu of this period of time. In the second Manvantara, the period ruled by Svarochisa, Savarni was the King of Good Thoughts. Good Thoughts performed a severe tapasya, and the Divine Mother Goddess granted him an imperishable kingdom. So Good Thoughts became the predominant attitude of mind for this period of 71 Kalpas, or if you do the math: 306,720,000 years.

In addition to being a measurement of time, a Yuga is also a standard of perception. There is a both a Yuga Dharma for society and a Yuga Dharma for each individual. The societal Yuga Dharma is the most prevalent attitude of the society. The individual Yuga Dharma is the attitude of the individual. If an individual is engrossed in Sattva, it is possible for such a person to remain unaffected by the Kali around his or her being. Wherever such an individual may move, it is Satya Yuga for them.