Kala (कालः)

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.

कालः सृष्टिः च ॥ Kala and Universe

Kala as related to the Universe refers to the theories of creation, the cosmogenesis.

Kala pertains to that cycle where creation begins with the intense effort, tapas and the determination, the samkalpa, of Brahman as given in the Prasnopanishad and reiterated by the Taittiropanishad

तस्मै स होवाच प्रजाकामो वै प्रजापतिः स तपोऽतप्यत स तपस्तप्त्वा स मिथुनमुत्पादयते । रयिं च प्रणं चेत्येतौ मे बहुधा प्रजाः करिष्यत इति ॥ ४ ॥ (Pras. Upan. 1.4)

सोऽकामयत । बहुभ्यां प्रजायेयेति । स तपोऽतप्यत । स तपस्तप्त्वा । इदँ सर्वमसृजत । (Taitt. Upan. 2.6)

Summary : Pippalada, the venerable seer, tells about the beginning of the creation that the creator became desirous of creating and with that in view, practiced tapas and created a pair Rayi, the moon, the food and Prana, fire, the consumer, the surya (corresponding to matter and life force) with the intention of springing forth all dual existence whatsoever from them. In a similar spirit Taittriyopanishad also tells us that the creator at the beginning practiced tapas and having done so created all that exists. Shri. Dharampal rightly explained the influence of Kala on the Chitta (manas) or the psyche of people of Bharatavarsha as follows

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.

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.

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.

कालप्रमाणम् ॥ Kalapramanam

Kalapramana or the duration of time and measurements, are variously described in different texts. The calculations are based on nakshatras, suryodaya, chandra (moon), planetary transits for earthly time measurements. Thus we have nakshatramana, sauramana, chandramana etc ways to measure time. Astronomy and Astrology texts such as Surya Siddhanta, deal extensively with the topic of time and its calculations ranging from less than a second to trillions of years.

Manusmrti, Vishnu purana, Bhavishya purana, and Mahabharata, also deal elaborately with the creation of the universe, of the division of the movement of the Universe into specified periods called the Yugas.

Kala as in Vishnu Purana

Unit	Definition

Unit	Definition	Relation to SI units
Truti	Base unit	≈ 35.5 µs
Tatpara	100 Truti	≈ 3.55 ms
Nimesha	30 Tatpara	≈ 106.7 ms
Kāṣṭhā	30 Nimesha	≈ 3.2 s
Kalā	30 Kāṣṭhā	≈ 1.6 min
Muhūrta	30 Kalā	≈ 48 min
Nakṣatra Ahorātram (Sidereal Day)	30 Muhūrta	≈ 24 h

युगम् ॥ Yuga

An epoch. One of the four large periods into which the basic Chaturyuga cycle is divided, it forms the basic Indian cycle of creation and destruction. According to the puranas and the astronomical texts one Chaturyuga consists of 43,20,000 solar years. Thousand Chaturyugas form a Kalpa, which is the larger cycle of creation and destruction, and is seen as a day of Brahma. The four Yugas comprising the Chaturyuga are: Krita, Treta, Dvapara and Kali.

Krita Yuga

The first Yuga of the Chaturyuga cycle. In this Yuga Dharma represented by the bull supporting the universe stands securely on all four legs. The four legs of Dharma are said to be Satya, Ahimsa, Daya, Dana, truth, non-injury, kindness and generosity, respectively, in rough translation. According to the calculations of the Puranas, the length of the Krita yuga is 17,28,000 years. But with the passage of time, the universe starts getting more and more complex. The innate order starts getting disturbed. Dharma starts getting weakened. And, towards the end of Krita, the creator has to take birth on earth in various forms to re-establish the dharma.

Treta Yuga

The second Yuga of the Chaturyuga cycle. In this Yuga the bull representing Dharma stands on three feet.

Dvapara Yuga

The third of the four yugas of the Chaturyuga cycle. In this Yuga the bull representing dharma, that holds the earth, is left with only two feet. Dvapara in the current Chaturyuga begins with the ascendance of Srirama and ends with the ascendance of Srikrishna from the earth.

Kali Yuga

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 B.C., which is the Chaitra Sukla Pratipad of Vikrama Purva 3045 by the Indian calendar.

Kalpa

Period of one thousand Chaturyugas, 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 and half of it is Parardha. 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.

Madhu Vidya and Kala

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 means honey. It is not that madhu or honey has got fragrance of many different kinds of flowers. It’s semisolid. Not only that even that place where madhu is not apparently there, in those flowers also the madhu is there. Why is that what we do not access to that honey, which are the those honey bees can access it? Who can say even in the neem tree there is honey? For honey bee alone can get the nectar from all kinds of flowers. Therefore everything what we see there is honey and that our lord Bhagavantha is actually a honey bee and everything is there for his utility. What is bitter for us, for him it is sweet. Even if it’s not sweet through time factor, he has the power to make it sweet. That is his expertise and profession and because everything is there for him. Anyone who creates something for himself, can he, make it useless? For a gambler the earth may feel a burden because when everybody is harassing him for to give back the loan that he has taken, for him committing suicide becomes a natural instinct and for him the entire world is poisonous. But is it a great siddhanta? But Sruthi says: yam prithvi sarvesahm bhutanam madhu the prithvi or this earth planet is very sweet like nectar. And similarly for prithvi all living entities are madhu. For someone if something is poisonous then it’s their stupidity. But by the grace of God and by his intelligence it can be made into madhu. Because for prithvi everything is madhu. Asyam prithvyam tejo maya mrithamaya purushaha that the svayam prakasa or fully self-illuminated, completely knowledgeable one who is freed from the effect of death, who is sinless, in this way one who possess unlimited transcendental qualities. Such paramatama is residing as paramatma within the heart, not only in heart, prithvi tattva jata vada that everything which has prithvi tattva, in all that ingredients the lord is residing. He is residing in our heart, in our mind, in prana, he is residing as antrayami, even though the body which is compared to prithvi or earth will be disintegrated, but still that is also nectar. Outside it is like prithvi, just like neem tree but within that there is a nectar—just like there is nectar in the neem tree also and that madhu is none other than the paramatma, who has appeared as madhu rupa. ayameva soyah yamatma idam amritham idam brahmam idam sarvam therefore in this way in all 5 mahabutas, in Aditya, in moon, in directions, in electricity, in rumbling of sky, in space, the lord is residing and all that is madhu. We will read here that not only this, that dharma, satya, all human varieties and living entities have become madhu maya, it is flavored with madhu. atmanasthu kamayam sarva priyam bhavathi this is Maitreya Brahmana, Brihadranyaka Upanishad 2.4 it is also said that

yaha prithvyam thisthan yesstaha atma antharyami yam amrithaha 3.7 said that paramatma, because he is antharyami in everything therefore all srushti has become madhu maya, nectarean. That is what is explained. Dadhyancha rushi one who experienced this vidya gave knowledge to Ashwini devathas, this is explained in Rg Veda and Bradahrana Aprahanka and some ruk are given as example. Rk Samhita: 1.116.12 and 1.117.22 this is completely exhibited here. There was one restriction for Dadichi, Indra said, if you give this knowledge to anyone, your head will fall off. Therefore Aswini devathas, to free from such danger, they placed horse’s head by removing Dadhichis own head, and then at the end of the vidya when horses head fell off fro torso , they placed his original head back. This has been explained and we can see connection between madhu vidya and madhu kaitabha demons and Hayagriva Bhagavan and then this is very nicely indicated that the Hayagriva Bhagavan by being Dadichi, he explained madhu vidya. 

purah chakre dvipadaha purah chakre shatushpadaha puraha sapakshi bhutva puraha purusha avishata sa va ayam purushahsarvaasu purshu purishaya nainena kincanavritham nainenakinchana samamvritham2.5.18

He is the paramatma for those who have two legs. He is also paramatma for those who have four legs and he is paramatma for all living entities. He is the essence of all puras. He is the purishaya--one who is resting in the pura. He has covered everything. There is nothing in this world that is not covered by him and not included in him. Therefore all the ingredients of the entire creation, in isolation or in integration, it is all madhumaya. That means everywhere there is the power of paramatma. This is the essence of madhuvidya. In the Chandogya Sruthi allegorically it is given that the lord who is shaped in the honey hive, that was described previously. Why the Sun is compared? Because he is also the personification of kala and the flow of time is also engaged in collecting the madhu and the entire collection of madhu is none other than the personification of kala, who is Aditya. Therefore only kala has the power to transfer poison into nectar. That is how kala has been glorified. In that sense, sruthi is glorifying the Sun god. That is how it is described.

Father with 5 legs

panchapadam pitaramdvadaashakritim diva ahuhu pare ardhe purishinam athemeanya upare vichakshanam sapta chakre shadara ahurpitamiti Prashno Upanishad 1.11.

Aditya who is compared to kala and who is pitri for all living entities has 5 legs: vatsara, samvatsara, parivatsara, idavatsara, anuvatsara. OR if hemantha and sisshira are considered together, then there are 5 ruthus. They are the feet of the lord and he has got 12 forms because of having 12 months. Nana lingathvadruthu nam nana suryathvam Taitreya Aranyaka one sentence we can remember. In the paramapada, he has a place in parardha. Aditya is compared having the covering of the Brahmanda which is golden hue that is what people say. Other great jnanis, kala tattva vidas also say in otherway. Aditya adi grihas they have chariot wheel which has 7 characteristics and 6 samvatsaras with 6 ruthis. He is sitting on the chariot with complete expertise and sobriety and one who can keep entire universe properly. This mantra is spoken in Ruk Samhita 1.164.12. Dirga thamasu was the one who revealed to this world. That is how it is famous to the world.

The 7 horses and a chariot with one wheel

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

Verses and Meanings

According to Matsya purana, Kalpas are

प्रथमं श्वेतकल्पस्तु द्वितीयो नीललोहितः। वामदेवस्तृतीयस्तु ततोराथन्तरोऽपरः ।। २९०.३

रौरवः पञ्चमः प्रोक्तः षष्ठो देव इति स्मृतः। सप्तमोऽथ बृहत्कल्पः कन्दर्पोऽष्टम उच्यते ।। २९०.४

सद्योऽथ नवमः प्रोक्तः ईशानो दशमः स्मृतः। तम एकादशः प्रोक्तः तथा सारस्वतः परः ।। २९०.५

त्रयोदश उदानस्तु गारुड़ोऽथ चतुर्दशः। कौर्मः पञ्चदशः प्रोक्तः पौर्णमास्यामजायत ।। २९०.६

षोड़शो नारसिंहस्तु समानस्तु ततोऽपरः। आग्नेयोऽष्टादशः प्रोक्तः सोमकल्पस्तथापरः ।। २९०.७

मानवो विंशतिः प्रोक्तस्तत् पुमानिति चापरः। वैकुण्ठश्चापरस्तद्वल्लक्ष्मीकल्पस्तथापरः ।। २९०.८

चतुर्विंशतिमः प्रोक्तः सावित्री कल्पसंज्ञकः। पञ्चविंशस्ततो घोरो वाराहस्तु ततोऽपरः ।। २९०.९

सप्तविंशोऽथ वैराजो गौरि कल्पस्तथापरः। माहेश्वरस्तु स प्रोक्त स्त्रिपुरो यत्र घातितः ।। २९०.१०