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→Kalpa
The fourth and the last Yuga of a Chaturyuga cycle. The current Kaliyuga began with the ascendance of Srikrishna from the earth after the Mahabharata war more than 5,000 years ago. Indian astronomical texts fix the time and date of the onset of current Kaliyuga either at the midnight of February 17/18 or the sunrise of February 18 of 3102 BCE (Julian reckoning).
The fourth and the last Yuga of a Chaturyuga cycle. The current Kaliyuga began with the ascendance of Srikrishna from the earth after the Mahabharata war more than 5,000 years ago. Indian astronomical texts fix the time and date of the onset of current Kaliyuga either at the midnight of February 17/18 or the sunrise of February 18 of 3102 BCE (Julian reckoning).
=== Kalpa ===
=== कल्पम् ॥ Kalpa ===
Kalpa is the period of one thousand Chaturyugas or Mahayugas, forming a day of Brahma. A Kalpa is divided into 14 Manvantaras, and there is a Manu, the patriarch, of each of the 14 Manvantaras. The largest Indian time cycle is that of 100 years of the life of Brahma, which is called a Para (परा) and half of it is Parardha (परार्धः). Currently we are in the Vaivasvata Manvantara, the seventh Manvantara of the Svetavaraha Kalpa, which is at the beginning of the second Parardha, or the fifty-first year of the current 100 year cycle of Brahma.
Kalpa is the period of one thousand Chaturyugas or Mahayugas, forming a day of Brahma. A Kalpa is divided into 14 Manvantaras, and there is a Manu, the patriarch, of each of the 14 Manvantaras. The largest Indian time cycle is that of 100 years of the life of Brahma, which is called a Para (परा) and half of it is Parardha (परार्धः). Currently we are in the Vaivasvata Manvantara, the seventh Manvantara of the Svetavaraha Kalpa, which is at the beginning of the second Parardha, or the fifty-first year of the current 100 year cycle of Brahma.
Present Chaturyuga = Kaliyuga
Present Chaturyuga = Kaliyuga
Indian astronomical siddhantas assumed that at the commencement of the Kalpa all the planets including Ketu were in conjunction (at the same celestial longitude) at the first point of Mesha and the ascending node (Rahu) of the Moon was 180 degrees away (i.e., at the first point of Tula).<ref>Balachandra Rao, S. (2014) Indian Astronomy. Concepts and Procedures. Benguluru : M.P. Birla Institute of Management</ref>
Indian astronomical siddhantas assumed that at the commencement of the Kalpa all the planets including Ketu were in conjunction (at the same celestial longitude) at the first point of Mesha and the ascending node (Rahu) of the Moon was 180 degrees away (i.e., at the first point of Tula).<ref name=":1">Balachandra Rao, S. (2014) Indian Astronomy. Concepts and Procedures. Benguluru : M.P. Birla Institute of Management</ref>
== Microscopic Time Scale ==
== शकाः ॥ Sakas or Eras ==
A Saka (शकः) or "era" is an important aspect in preparing calendars which are used for civil purposes as well as official, religious, historical and chronological records and events. Among several different Indian eras in use, the most popular ones are the Kali (कलि), Vikrama Saka (विक्रमशकः), Salivahana saka (शालिवाहनशकः), Kollam. In any era adopted, the starting point is called epoch from which day the future periods of time, the day, months, years are counted. Such a reference day of an era were likely historical events such as the coronation of a famous king, the birth of a famous person, astronomical event of significance.<ref name=":1" />In Indian astronomical texts, generally the Kali era is adopted, which is considered more advantageous compared to later eras for the simple reason that it covers the antiquity of our civilization adequately unlike the more later eras.
== Microcosmic Time Scale ==
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