Hindu Vedic concepts have clear definitions of Time on a Human Scale and that on a Cosmic Scale. The Rishis of the past, realized that the cycle of Cosmic creation and destruction follows a much different time-scale compared to humans and given the vastness of these cycles, they defined an entirely different time measurement system.
To give the reader an idea of the difference in the scales, we compare the way we compute Human time metrics versus the Hindu Cosmic Time metrics. The average Human life-time is thought to be 120 years. Time and Calendars as we know it today for us, are thus based on the movements of the Sun, the Moon and the Planets. We measure time in terms of Muhurthas, Hora, Maasa (Months) & Samvatsaras (Solar Year). The Universe however is vast and the lifetime is beyond our closest imaginations.
While a day of the Human being consists of 24 hours and ~360 days in a Solar Year, the day of the Brahma (the creator) is called a ‘Kalpa’. 360 Kalpas form a Cosmic Year. 100 such Years is the lifetime of the Current Brahma, after which the cycle starts again. A new Brahma takes over and creation starts all over again. It is said that six Brahmas have so far been created and destroyed and we are now in the Age of the seventh Brahma, the current one.
Each Kalpa is divided into 14 Manvantaras and each Manvantara has 71 Chaturyugas (Eons). A Chaturyuga in turn in made up of four Yugas – Satya or Krita (The Golden Age), Treta (the Silver Age), Dwapara (the Bronze Age) and Kali (the Iron Age). The end of each Chaturyuga is followed by a Pralaya marked by large scale destruction and the Yugas repeat again, with the stage set for a new age of creation. Time is thus cyclical with creation & destruction repeating itself over and over again. This is the law of the Universe.
| 1 Kalpa | 1 Day of Lord Brahma |
| 360 Kalpas | 1 Year of Lord Brahma |
| 100 Cosmic Years | A Lifetime of the Current Brahma |
| Cosmic Time Measure | Equal to: | Equivalent in Solar Years |
| 1 Kalpa | = 14 Manvantara | 4.294 Billion Years |
| 1 Manvantara | = 71 Chaturyugas | 307 Million Years |
The Chatur-Yugas:
| Satya Yuga / Krita Yuga | 4 Parts of a ChaturYuga | 1.728 Million Years |
| Treta Yuga | 3 Parts of a ChaturYuga | 1.296 Million Years |
| Dwapara Yuga | 2 Parts of a ChaturYuga | 0.864 Million Years |
| Kali Yuga | 1 Part of a ChaturYuga | 0.432 Million Years |
| A Chaturyuga | 4.32 Million Years |
The interesting part of this elaborate time metrics is that it accurately tracks the age and the evolution of the Universe, from the Big Bang, to the formation of the Solar System and through the evolution of life on earth and mankind.
| Stages in Evolution | Age (in Solar Years) | Age Calculated in Hindu Cosmic Time | Description |
| Birth of The Solar System | 4.5 Billion Years Ago | Dawn of the current Kalpa (~ 4.32 Billion Years) | The Solar System was formed around this time |
| Earliest Life on Earth | 4 Billion Years Ago | Earliest Life emerged in Earth |
The Solar System & Earth was formed about 4.5 Billion Years which is approximately close the start of the current Kalpa. Earth was submerged in water and later, Life on earth emerged as small aquatic creatures, represented by the Matsya Avatara and evolved into Amphibians and Land Animals (Varaha Avatara).
| Stages in Evolution | Age (in Solar Years) | Age Calculated in Hindu Cosmic Time | Equivalent Dashavatara Stage | Description |
| Earliest Humans (Apes) | 4.2 Million Years Ago | Beginning of Satya Yuga in the current Chatur-Yuga | Varaha -> Narasimha | Evolved as Apes; Humans live an Animal-like life |
| Paleolithic Era – (Man’s Oldest Tools, viz. Stones and crude weapons) | 2.6 Million Years Ago | From Satya to Treta Yuga and in the current Chatur Yuga | Vamana -> Parasurama | Humans start to evolve from Apes and started inventing basic stone tools (Parasurama wielded the axe) |
| Neolithic Era – Earliest Civilisation of Man | 10000 Years Ago | In our literature Rama and Krishna occur in Treta & Dwapara Yugas | Rama -> Krishna | Cultured Humans and living together as a society; formation of kingdoms and idealistic communities |
| The Age of Religion & Philosophy | 3000 Years Ago | Kali Yuga | Buddha Avatara | Birth of several religions and thesis of life in General |
| Current Technological Age | Now | Kali Yuga | Kalki Avatara | Age of Technology and Data |
The primitive Man (Vamana) evolved from Apes (Narasimha Avatara) about 4.2 Million Years ago (co-incides with the start of the current Satya Yuga). Primitive Man evolved into a more civilized and social animal, and began inventing small stone based tools (represented by Parasurama Avatara). The weapon of Parasurama was the axe, which is also the first tool that man learned to build using stones and other materials available at that time. These co-incide with the later eons, viz. Treta and Dwapara. Later, kingdoms evolved, ruled initially by righteous kings (Rama Avatara). With the rise of Kali, man was corrupted by greed and selfishness. As correctly captured by our time scale, Kali started approximately somewhere about 10,000 years ago.
The final chapter, end of Kali Yuga will mark the destruction of the world as we know it now, only to begin a new cycle of ChaturYugas and with it a new cycle of creation.
The Hindu Cosmic Time concept is thus a remarkable and accurate representation of the time metrics of cycle of creation and destruction as it unravels. The Avataras of Vishnu on the other hand afford a better understanding of the same time cycle for the lay man.
This concept also suggests the relativity of time in space and that time can be measured differently depending on the relative positions.
See Also a mythological story explaining this concept:
King Kakudmi and Time Travel