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− | Kala (Samskrit : कालः) means "time period" in a broad sense, Kala is kshayakari (exhausting) or vriddi kari (flourishing). Firstly Kala, refers to the inexorable flow of both creation and unfolding of the universe and its subsequent destruction, in time cycles of huge dimensions. Secondly, Kala refers to the shorter and relative time periods on earth, the days and nights, paksha, masa (months), ayana (uttarayana and dakshinayana), samvatsara (year) and this leads to the bigger units of yugas which again refer back to the cycles of srishti (creation) and kshaya (decay) that the universe passes through.<ref>Narayanacharya, K. S. (2011). ''Veda Sanskritiya Parichaya''. Hubli:Sahitya Prakashana.</ref> | + | Kala (Samskrit : कालः) means "time period" in a broad sense, Kala is kshayakari (exhausting) or vriddi kari (flourishing). Firstly Kala, refers to the inexorable flow of both creation and unfolding of the universe and its subsequent destruction, in time cycles of huge dimensions. Secondly, Kala refers to the shorter and relative time periods on earth, the days and nights, paksha, masa (months), ayana (uttarayana and dakshinayana), samvatsara (year) and this leads to the bigger units of yugas which again refer back to the cycles of srishti (creation) and kshaya (decay) that the universe passes through.<ref>Narayanacharya, K. S. (2011). ''Veda Sanskritiya Parichaya''. Hubli:Sahitya Prakashana.</ref> Shri. Dharampal rightly explained the influence of Kala on the Chitta (manas) or the psyche of people of Bharatavarsha as follows<ref>Dharampal. (2000) ''Dharampal Collected Writings. Volume 5 : Essays on Tradition, Recovery and Freedom.'' Goa : Other India Press</ref><blockquote>''Kala according to Puranas, pertains to that cycle where creation begins with the intense effort, tapas and the determination, the samkalpa, of Brahman. The universe once created passes through a number of cycles of growth and decay, and at the end is drawn back into Brahman. This cycle of creation of the universe from Brahman and its disappearance into Him is repeated again and again according to the predefined flow of time. Within this large cycle, there are a number of shorter cycles, at the end of each of which the universe gets destroyed, and created again at the beginning of the next. Thus the universe keeps on passing through repeated cycles of creation and destruction, and there are series of cycles within cycles.''</blockquote><blockquote>''The terms ‘creation’ and ‘destruction’ are probably not wholly appropriate in this context. Because, at the time of creation, it is not something external to Him that Brahman creates. He only manifests Himself in the varied forms of the universe, and at the end He merely contracts those manifestations into Himself, and thus there is in reality nothing that gets created or destroyed. The universe, in a sense, is a mere play of Brahman, a cosmic game of repeated expansion and contraction of the ultimate essence of the universe. But it is a game that is played according to well defined cycles of time. The universe is play, but the play is not arbitrary. Even Brahman is governed by kala. He manifests and contracts according to a definite flow of time that even He cannot transcend.''</blockquote><blockquote>''Every Indian is probably aware of this Indian view of the universe as the play of Brahman. Every Indian is also aware of the supremacy of kala in this play. Many Indians may not know the very detailed arithmetic of the various cycles of time that is given in the Puranas. But the thought that the universe is a play that had no beginning and will have no end, and that this play of Brahman proceeds according to the inexorable flow of kala, is deeply etched on the chitta of the people of India.''</blockquote> |
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− | Kala according to Puranas, pertains to that cycle where creation begins with the intense effort, tapas and the determination, the samkalpa, of Brahman. The universe once created passes through a number of cycles of growth and decay, and at the end is drawn back into Brahman. This cycle of creation of the universe from Brahman and its disappearance into Him is repeated again and again according to the predefined flow of time. Within this large cycle, there are a number of shorter cycles, at the end of each of which the universe gets destroyed, and created again at the beginning of the next. Thus the universe keeps on passing through repeated cycles of creation and destruction, and there are series of cycles within cycles.
| + | == Yuga == |
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− | The terms ‘creation’ and ‘destruction’ are probably not wholly appropriate in this context. Because, at the time of creation, it is not something external to Him that Brahman creates. He only manifests Himself in the varied forms of the universe, and at the end He merely contracts those manifestations into Himself, and thus there is in reality nothing that gets created or destroyed. The universe, in a sense, is a mere play of Brahman, a cosmic game of repeated expansion and contraction of the ultimate essence of the universe. But it is a game that is played according to well defined cycles of time. The universe is play, but the play is not arbitrary. Even Brahman is governed by kala. He manifests and contracts according to a definite flow of time that even He cannot transcend.
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− | Every Indian is probably aware of this Indian view of the universe as the play of Brahman. Every Indian is also aware of the supremacy of kala in this play. Many Indians may not know the very detailed arithmetic of the various cycles of time that is given in the Puranas. But the thought that the universe is a play that had no beginning and will have no end, and that this play of Brahman proceeds according to the inexorable flow of kala, is deeply etched on the chitta of the people of India.
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− | == Two Perspectives of Kala == | |
− | There are different perspectives in regards to kala. Kala is a kshayakari (exhausting) or vriddi kari (flourishing). For less intelligent kala appears to be destructive. For the intelligent, kala gives rise to good things. Certainly, today is not there for tomorrow. But tomorrow does bring novelty than today. To create something new and innovative is the work of kala. But while doing it, to make present as past, vartamana into bhuta, is one of the unavoidable steps of the kala.
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− | thehino divasa gatha ha One may say oh the day is over!! But one may also say jivan bhadrani pasyati if I survive, I see good things! It’s another exclamation. The second one is the vision of Vedic followers. The first one is natural --the weak, human perspective and it is helpless perspective. Or to feel that yesterday, today and tomorrow should be there That is the attitude of one who is defeated. This is not the mind set of person with valor. Therefore for tomorrow’s auspiciousness, todays auspicious has to be exhausted. From that perspective, this is the mood of shrusti-kartha. He has a transcendental vision or idea. To consider this world is anitya, asukha that is not paramartha. Gita Acraya one who spoke this, has only one intention: 'Anityam asukham lokam imam prapya bhajasva mam' this we need to hear carefully. With this anitya, one can perform the devotion of the lord which is sasvtha purushartha . That anitya becomes a solution for nitya, from the temporary to the permanent. In this way one can see that nothing is insignificant in this world. Everything is a path for eternality. For that madhu, this is the specialty of madhu vidya. The Chandogya Sruthi picks up this concept. The Brihadaranyak Sruthi also speaks of the same thing.
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| Madhu Vidya and Bridarankya: yam prithvi hi sarvesham bhutanam madhu asai prativai sarvani bhutani madhu ima apaha ayam agnihi ayam vayuhu ayam Aditya ima adishaha ayam akasaha ayam dharmaha idam satyam idam maanusham ayam atma it says paramatma the lord is explaining that everything we see in this world is madhu maya that means it is madhu. Not simply matter, its nectar. | | Madhu Vidya and Bridarankya: yam prithvi hi sarvesham bhutanam madhu asai prativai sarvani bhutani madhu ima apaha ayam agnihi ayam vayuhu ayam Aditya ima adishaha ayam akasaha ayam dharmaha idam satyam idam maanusham ayam atma it says paramatma the lord is explaining that everything we see in this world is madhu maya that means it is madhu. Not simply matter, its nectar. |
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| Saptayanjanthi rathame eka chakram eko ashvo mahati saptanama thrinabhi chakramajara manrvamam yathrema vishwabhuvanani tasthuhu Ruk Samhita 1.104.2. | | Saptayanjanthi rathame eka chakram eko ashvo mahati saptanama thrinabhi chakramajara manrvamam yathrema vishwabhuvanani tasthuhu Ruk Samhita 1.104.2. |
| Surya’s chariot has got one wheel with 7 horses or one horse having 7 names. That’s how this chariot is driven. This ratha or chariot has got 3 navels. This chariot is the chariot which no one can face. It’s inexhaustible. Entire lokas are completely dependent on this. It’s a very interesting description. Everyone knows that the horses of the Sun god, they drive the chariot. Everyone knows this (this could be 7 days of week or the 7 colors of the sun rays coming from sun god or surya can also be called as horse) Yajanvalkya was given Veda instructions by sun god in the form of Vaji, the horse. Therefore Sukla Yuju Samhitha is called Vajasaneyi samhita. In the kala swarupa, samvatsarais nothing but the body of the horse. Ushase is head, Surya is his eyes and this beautiful description is given in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad ushyava ashwase medhasyasiraha it is explained in the beginning of the chapter. The Ashwamedha Yaga has a special esoteric meaning. If sun god himself is one horse, because there are 7 days in the week and those days have different names that clearly indicates that there are no 7 horses, but one horse with 7 kinds of concepts. The sapta rasmi extracts juice for him. He is always glorified with sapta rushis. That’s how the esoteric meaning is given and that is the description in Nirukta Vyahyan 4.22. Smavatsara and yajna kaala swarupa | | Surya’s chariot has got one wheel with 7 horses or one horse having 7 names. That’s how this chariot is driven. This ratha or chariot has got 3 navels. This chariot is the chariot which no one can face. It’s inexhaustible. Entire lokas are completely dependent on this. It’s a very interesting description. Everyone knows that the horses of the Sun god, they drive the chariot. Everyone knows this (this could be 7 days of week or the 7 colors of the sun rays coming from sun god or surya can also be called as horse) Yajanvalkya was given Veda instructions by sun god in the form of Vaji, the horse. Therefore Sukla Yuju Samhitha is called Vajasaneyi samhita. In the kala swarupa, samvatsarais nothing but the body of the horse. Ushase is head, Surya is his eyes and this beautiful description is given in Brihadaranyaka Upanishad ushyava ashwase medhasyasiraha it is explained in the beginning of the chapter. The Ashwamedha Yaga has a special esoteric meaning. If sun god himself is one horse, because there are 7 days in the week and those days have different names that clearly indicates that there are no 7 horses, but one horse with 7 kinds of concepts. The sapta rasmi extracts juice for him. He is always glorified with sapta rushis. That’s how the esoteric meaning is given and that is the description in Nirukta Vyahyan 4.22. Smavatsara and yajna kaala swarupa |
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| + | == References == |