THIRTY-SIX YUGAS

"THIRTY-SIX YUGAS"

For many ages, only darkness prevailed (i.e., the state before creation cannot be understood);
the infinite, endless Lord was absorbed in the primal void. He sat alone and unaffected in
absolute darkness. As He pleased, He remains in that state (of utter darkness). He has no rival.
He is infinite and endless. ||2|| He is hidden throughout the four Yugas - understand this
well. He pervades each and every body and heart. The One and Only Lord prevails
throughout the Yugas. How rare are those who contemplate the Guru (i.e., Guru's Word),
and (by contemplating the Guru's Word) understand this. ||3|| (sggs 1026).
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According to the Gurbani (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, SGGS), man's all calculations are in Maya (duality and relativist consciousness) and Haume (ego); hence illusioned or deluded. The duration of the material universe is said to be limited. For example, there is the mention of the "thirty-six Yugas" in the Gurbani — "For thirty-six ages, there was utter darkness. Then, the Lord revealed Himself (sggs 949)", states the Gurbani. The Mahaan Kosh by Bhai Kahan Singh Nabha indicates "thirty-six Yugas" = 9 periods of 4-Yuga= 9x4 = 36 Yugas. It also indicates that following Pralaya (Pralaya means "to dissolve," "to melt away," "to liquefy," etc.), there remains utter darkness for "thirty-six Yugas". This term "thirty-six Yugas" ("ਛਤੀਹ ਜੁਗ") , tempts the calculating minds to calculate the time taken by the "thirty-six Yugas". But in order to do that, one needs to know the precise age of each Yuga. This is where the problem starts. To make the point, consider the following.

The theory of the manifestation and division of time by the four Yugas can be traced to the Vedic literature. The four Yugas are Sat (or Satya), Tretaa, Duaapar (or Dvaapara) and Kali Yuga. According to the traditional model, time-span of these four Yugas is said to be respectively 1,728,000; 1,296,000; 864,000; and 432,000 years. The descending numbers represent a corresponding physical and moral deterioration of mankind in each age. If we add the age of these four Yugas, the total comes to 4,320,000 years, which is considered one Yuga-cycle (also called Divya-Yuga, Mahaa Yuga, or the Great Year). Thus, According to the ancient Vedic Cosmology a Yuga-cycle consists of the passing of the four shorter Yugas, totalling 4,320,000 years. One thousand such Yuga-cycles make the duration of one day of Brahma, called a Kalpa. At the end of each Kalpa there is Pralaya. A verse from the Rig-Veda says, "Four are his horns, three are his feet, two are his heads and seven are his hands" (IV.58.3). This verse is symbolically interpreted by the Vedic cosmologists as numerals 4,3,2 and 7 zeros or 4,320,000,000 years.

According to an another estimate, the descending phase of Satya Yuga lasts 4800 years, Tretaa-Yuga 3600 years, Dvaapara Yuga 2400 years, and Kali-Yuga 1200 years. The ascending phase of each Yuga also lasts at least equal to the descending phase as well. Yet, according to an another estimate, Kali-Yuga = 8640 years (one third of the precession or 4 astrological ages), Dvaapara Yuga (two Kali Yuga) = 17,280 years (two thirds of the precession or 8 astrological ages), Tretaa Yuga (three Kali-Yuga) = 25,920 years (one precession of the equinoxes), and Satya Yuga (four Kali Yuga) = 34,560 years (one and a third of the precession of the equinoxes). There are more estimates based on different models out there by the Indian as well as westerner cosmologists!

Consider this further division of the time by the ancient scholars and astrologer. Time in the ancient Indian mythology is measured with Brahma's time cycle. It is believed that he too has a limited time-span after which he will be recreated into a new version. But using his life span as the largest measure, the smallest moment has been described. One Kashtha (also spelt Kastha) comprises twelve parts of the smallest unit of time, Nimeshsa (also spelt Nimisa). Fifteen Nimeshas make one Kashtha. Thirty Kasthas make one Kala. Thirty Kalas one Muhurta and there are thirty Muhurtas in one Divaratra (one day). Fifteen Muhurtas constitute the day and fifteen Muhurtas make up the night. In other words, nine hundred Kalas make one day and night. Fifteen days make one Paksha and twenty-four Pakshas make one year. One day (not including night) of Brahma is 4,320,000,000 of human years in length. The same Brahma's day is called one Kalpa. In the end of the Kalpa comes Pralaya. The duration of this Pralaya, (there are many kinds of Pralayas; this one is called "Naimittik Pralaya") is also of the same duration as of Kalpa - means 1,000 human 4-Yuga periods - and this is called Brahma's night. Thus 2,000 human 4-Yuga periods is Brahma's one day and one night.There are 14 Manu in one Kalpa. Manu's cycle is also called Manvantara. Brahma's life is divided in one thousand Yuga-cycles (Mahaa-Yuga, or the Great Year). Each Maaha-Yuga has 71 divisions, each made of 14 Manvantara (1000) years. Each Mahaa-Yuga lasts for 4,320,000 years. After Brahma's "death", another 100 of his years pass until he is reborn and the whole creation begins anew. This process is repeated again and again, forever. Following is a summary of all this:

360 days of mortals make a year ............................................. 1
Satya Yuga contains ................................................. 1,728,000
Tretaa Yuga contains ................................................ 1,296,000
Dvaapara Yuga contains .............................................. 864,000
Kali Yugacontains ...................................................... 432,000
The total of the said four Yugas constitute a
Maaha-Yuga .............................................................4,320,000
Seventy-one of such Mahaa-Yugas form the
period of the reign of one Manu ..............................306,720,000
The reign of 14 Manus embraces the duration
of 994 Mahaa-Yugas, which is equal to ................4,294,080,000
Sandhis ( i.e., intervals between the reign of each Manu, which amount to
six Mahaa-Yugas), equal to ...........................................................................................................................................25,920,000
The total of these reigns and interregnums of 14 Manus, is 1,000 Mahaa-Yugas,
which constitute a Kalpa, i.e., one day of Brahma ......................................................................................................4,320,000,000
As Brahma's Night is of equal duration, one Day and Night of Brahma would contain 2000, 4-Yuga periods.... ...........8,640,000,000
360 of such days and nights make one year of Brahma ........................................................................................ .3,110,400,000,000
100 such years constitute the whole period of "One Age of Brahma.", Mahaa-Kalpa or Mahamanvantara.......311,040,000,000,000

According to the Gurbani, all calculations of the calculating mind are rooted in Maya (duality and relativist consciousness) and the primitive false ego-sense (Haume). In other words, such calculations serve only fanning one's Haume (ego) and his love for Maya. Other than that they really do not serve any meaningful purpose.

The Gurbani time and again reminds us that the Infinite God can neither be scaled, nor His infinitude be any way altered — God cannot be confined within the limits of the finite experience of our limited body-mind-intellect apparatus. In other words, man's calculating mind can never hope to catch God. Let alone the Infinite God, the Gurbani declares that no one can even describe the limits of the God-conscious being!

Thus, the Gurbani repeatedly tells us that the Unlimited God can neither be projected nor his limits be calculated. Because, in reality, we ourselves are a projection of God's Nature! Can a shadow look for the object that is responsible for its existence? Therefore, the Gurbani repeatedly asks us to overcome the calculating mind (Haume and duality) and to just accept God's Hukam (Will or Bhaanaa) — "Only He Himself knows His state", and leave it that way. It's not that the Gurbani wants to strangle the growth of our thinking faculty, but the fact remains that such mental circus of the ego- and Mayaic-mind has no real contribution to one's spiritual growth or one's being the Gurmukh.

The Gurbani says that God "is incalculable". Perhaps one can appreciate now as to why the Gurbani seems to suggest refraining from such futile exercise. For such exercise does not offer any real inner Peace, spiritual vibration or spiritual benefit. Neither it can eradicate one's Haume (ego) nor the veil of Maya. To the contrary, it only adds fuel to the fire! The Gurbani further claims that no one has ever realized the Infinite God by clever calculations. To realize Him, one has to become the Gurmukh. Who through the Shabad, transcends, Maya (duality and relativist consciousness), primitive ego (Haume) and all calculations.

Hence, as indicated by the Gurbani, to speculate God's limits or to treatise Him is not only impossible, but also pointless and unnecessary. But, in spite of the fact that the Gurbani repeatedly tells us God is Infinite, Unfathomable, Eternal, Sublime and Immortal and that His limits cannot be described or measured by anybody, many are still enticed by the love of Maya and Haume to speculate duration or age for the"thirty-six Yugas"!