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Hindu cosmology
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In Hindu cosmology the universe is cyclically created and destroyed.
Contents [hide]
1 Description
2 Further elaborations from the Vedic texts
2.1 Rig Veda
2.2 The Puranas
3 Multiverse in Hinduism
4 See also
5 Notes
6 References
7 Further reading
8 External links
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Large scale structure of
the Universe according to one
Hindu cosmology.
Description [edit]
The Hindu cosmology and timeline is the closest to modern scientific timelines and even more which
might indicate that the Big Bang is not the beginning of everything but just the start of the present cycle
preceded by an infinite number of universes and to be followed by another infinite number of universes. It
also includes an infinite number of universes at one given time.
The Rig Veda questions the origin of the cosmos in: "Neither being (sat) nor non-being was as yet.
What was concealed? And where? And in whose protection?Who really knows? Who can declare it?
Whence was it born, and whence came this creation? The devas were born later than this world's
creation, so who knows from where it came into existence? None can know from where creation has
arisen, and whether he has or has not produced it. He who surveys it in the highest heavens, he alone
knows-or perhaps does not know." (Rig Veda 10. 129)
The Rig Veda's view of the cosmos also sees one true divine principle
self-projecting as the divine word, Vaak, 'birthing' the cosmos that we
know, from the monistic Hiranyagarbha or Golden Womb. The
Hiranyagarbha is alternatively viewed as Brahma, the creator who was in
turn created by God, or as God (Brahman) himself
[verification needed]
. The
universe is considered to constantly expand since creation and disappear
into a thin haze after billions of years.
[citation needed]
An alternate view is
that the universe begins to contract after reaching its maximum
expansion limits until it disappears into a fraction of a
millimeter.
[citation needed]
The creation begins anew after billions of years
(Solar years) of non-existence.
The puranic view asserts that the universe is created, destroyed, and re-
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Map 2: Intermediate
neighbourhood of the Earth
according to one Hindu
cosmology.
Map 3: Local
neighbourhood of the Earth
according to one Hindu
cosmology.
The puranic view asserts that the universe is created, destroyed, and re-
created in an eternally repetitive series of cycles. In Hindu cosmology, a
universe endures for about 4,320,000,000 years (one day of Brahma, the
creator or kalpa) and is then destroyed by fire or water elements. At this
point, Brahma rests for one night, just as long as the day. This process,
named pralaya (literally especial dissolution in Sanskrit, commonly
translated as Cataclysm), repeats for 100 Brahma years (311 Trillion, 40
Billion Human Years) that represents Brahma's lifespan. Brahma is
regarded as a manifestation of Brahman as the creator.
In current occurrence of Universe, we are believed to be in the 51st year
of the present Brahma and so about 156 trillion years have elapsed since
He was born as Brahma. After Brahma's "death", it is necessary that
another 100 Brahma years (311 Trillion, 40 Billion Years) pass until a new
Brahma is born and the whole creation begins anew. This process is
repeated again and again, forever.
Brahma's day is divided in one thousand cycles (Maha Yuga, or the
Great Year). Maha Yuga, during which life, including the human race
appears and then disappears, has 71 divisions, each made of 14
Manvantara (1000) years. Each Maha Yuga lasts for 4,320,000 years.
Manvantara is Manu's cycle, the one who gives birth and governs the
human race. before & after each manvantara there's a sandhikal as long
as krutyuga & in that time there is all water on earth. Each Maha Yuga
consists of a series of four shorter yugas, or ages. The yugas get
progressively worse from a moral point of view as one proceeds from one
yuga to another. As a result, each yuga is of shorter duration than the
age that preceded it. The current Kali Yuga (Iron Age) began at midnight
17 February / 18 February in 3102 BC in the proleptic Julian calendar
(Year 6898 of the Holocene Era.) kalpa=ahoratra of brahma. Space and
time are considered to be maya (illusion). What looks like 100 years in
the cosmos of Brahma could be thousands of years in other worlds,
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millions of years in some other worlds and 311 trillion and 40 billion years
for our solar system and earth. The life span of Lord Brahma, the creator, is 100 'Brahma-Years'. One
day in the life of Brahma is called a Kalpa or 4.32 billion years.
[1][2]
Every Kalpa creates 14 Manus one
after the other, who in turn manifest and regulate this world. Thus, there are fourteen generations of
Manu in each Kalpa. Each Manu's life (Manvantara) consists of 71 Chaturyugas (quartets of Yugas or
eras).
[3]
Each Chaturyuga is composed of four eras or Yugas: Satya, Treta, Dwapara and Kali.
[3]
if we
add all manvantaras(4320000x71x14)as long as 4 chaturyuga will be missing its because
sandhikaal.after & before each manvantara so 15 sandhikaal The span of the Satya Yuga is 1,728,000
human years, Treta Yuga is 1,296,000 human years long, the Dwapara Yuga 864,000 human years
and the Kali Yuga 432,000 human years.
[4]
When Manu perishes at the end of his life, Brahma creates
the next Manu and the cycle continues until all fourteen Manus and the Universe perish by the end of
Bramha's day. When 'night' falls, Brahma goes to sleep for a period of 4.32 billion years, which is a
period of time equal one day (of Brahma) and the lives of fourteen Manus. The next 'morning', Brahma
creates fourteen additional Manus in sequence just as he has done on the previous 'day'. The cycle
goes on for 100 'divine years' at the end of which Brahma perishes and is regenerated. Bramha's entire
life equals 311 trillion, 40 billion years. Thus a second of Brahm is 98,630 years. Once Bramha dies
there is an equal period of unmanifestation for 311 trillion, 40 billion years, until the next Bramha is
created.
The present period is the Kali Yuga or last era in one of the 71 Chaturyugis (set of four Yugas/eras) in
the life one of the fourteen Manus. The current Manu is said to be the seventh Manu and his name is
Vaivasvata.
[5]
According to Aryabhata, the Kali Yuga began in 3102 BC, at the end of the Dvapara Yuga that was
marked by the disappearance of Vishnu's Krishna avatar. Aryabhata's date is widely repeated in modern
Hinduism.
The beginning of the new Yuga (era) is known as "Yugadi/Ugadi", and is celebrated every year on the
first day (Paadyami) of the first month (Chaitramu) of the 12-month annual cycle. But this is a
disambiguation for beginning of new year in lunisolar calendar followed by most Hindus. The Ugadi of
1999 begins the year 1921 of the Shalivahana era (5101 Kali Yuga, 1999 AD). The end of the Kali Yuga
is 426,899 years from 1921.
[6]
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Overview of Yugas:
1. Satya Yuga (Krita Yuga):- 1,728,000 Human years
2. Treta Yuga:- 1,296,000 Human years
3. Dwapara Yuga:- 864,000 Human years
4. Kali Yuga:- 432,000 Human years (5,111 years have passed; 426,889 years remain). Kaliyuga
started in 3102 B.C.; CE 2009 corresponds to Kaliyuga year 5,111
Further elaborations from the Vedic texts [edit]
Rig Veda [edit]
The Nasadiya Sukta of the Rig Veda describes the origin of the universe. The Rig Veda's view of the
cosmos also sees one true divine principle self-projecting as the divine word, Vaak, 'birthing' the cosmos
that we know, from the monistic Hiranyagarbha or Golden Egg.
[7]
The Hiranyagarbha is alternatively
viewed as Brahma, the creator who was in turn created by God, or as God (Brahman)
Himself.
[citation needed]
The Universe is preserved by Vishnu (The God of Preservation) and destroyed by
Shiva (The God of Destruction). These three constitute the holy trinity (Trimurti) of the Hindu religion.
Once the Universe has been destroyed by Shiva, Brahma starts the creation once again. This creation-
destruction cycle repeats itself almost endlessly as described in the section above on Brahma, Manu
and the Yugas.
The Puranas [edit]
The later Puranic view asserts that the Universe is created, destroyed, and re-created in an eternally
repetitive series of cycles. In Hindu cosmology, a universe endures for about 4,320,000,000 yearsone
day/Kalpa of Brahma, the creator, and is then destroyed by fire or water elements. At this point, Brahma
rests for one night, just as long as the day. This process, named Pralaya (Cataclysm), repeats for 100
Brahma years (311 trillion, 40 billion human years) that represents Brahma's lifespan. Brahma is the
creator but not necessarily regarded as God in Hinduism because there are said to be many creations.
Instead, he is regarded as a creation of the Supreme God or Brahman.
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We are currently believed
[citation needed]
to be in the 51st year of the present Brahma's life and so about
158.7 trillion years have elapsed since the birth of Brahma. After Brahma's "death", it is necessary that
another 100 Brahma years pass until he is reborn and the whole creation begins anew. This process is
repeated again and again, forever.
Brahma's day is divided in one thousand cycles (Maha Yuga, or the Great Year). Maha Yuga, during
which life, including the human race appears and then disappears, made of 14 Manvantarahas each has
71 divisions. Each Maha Yuga lasts for 4,320,000 years. Manvantara is Manu's cycle, the one who gives
birth and governs the human race.
Each Maha Yuga consists of a series of four shorter yugas, or ages as described earlier. The degree of
happiness, prosperity and righteousness progressively decays as one proceeds from one yuga to
another. Each yuga is of shorter duration than the age that preceded it. The current Kali Yuga (Iron Age)
began at midnight 17 February / 18 February in 3102 BC in the proleptic Julian calendar. (Year 6898 of
the Holocene Era.)
Only some Puranas describe a universe that is cyclical or oscillating and infinite in time. The universe is
described as a cosmic egg that cycles between expansion and total collapse. It expanded from a
concentrated form a point called a Bindu. The universe, as a living entity, is bound to the perpetual
cycle of birth, death, and rebirth.
The Padma Purana discusses the number of different types of life-forms in the universe. According to
the Padma Purana, there are 8,400,000 life-form species, 900,000 of which are aquatic ones; 2,000,000
are trees and plants; 1,100,000 are small living species, insects and reptiles; 1,000,000 are birds;
3,000,000 are beasts and 400,000 are human species.
[8]
Multiverse in Hinduism [edit]
The concept of multiverses is mentioned many times in Hindu Puranic literature, such as in the
Bhagavata Purana (5001000 CE):
Every universe is covered by seven layers earth, water, fire, air, sky, the total energy
and false ego each ten times greater than the previous one. There are innumerable
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universes besides this one, and although they are unlimitedly large, they move about like
atoms in You. Therefore You are called unlimited (Bhagavata Purana 6.16.37)
After separating the different universes, the gigantic universal form of the Lord, which
came out of the causal ocean, the place of appearance for the first purua-avatra,
entered into each of the separate universes, desiring to lie on the created transcendental
water (Bhagavata Purana 2.10.10)
The number of universes seems to be uncountable, immeasurable, or incalculable according to the
Puranic literature:
Even though over a period of time I might count all the atoms of the universe, I could not
count all of My opulences which I manifest within innumerable universes (Bhagavata
Purana 11.16.39)
Analogies to describe multiple universes also exist in the Puranic literature:
What am I, a small creature measuring seven spans of my own hand? I am enclosed in a
potlike universe composed of material nature, the total material energy, false ego, ether,
air, water and earth. And what is Your glory? Unlimited universes pass through the
pores of Your body just as particles of dust pass through the openings of a screened
window (Bhagavata Purana 10.14.11)
Because You are unlimited, neither the lords of heaven nor even You Yourself can ever
reach the end of Your glories. The countless universes, each enveloped in its shell, are
compelled by the wheel of time to wander within You, like particles of dust blowing about
in the sky. The rutis, following their method of eliminating everything separate from the
Supreme, become successful by revealing You as their final conclusion (Bhagavata
Purana 10.87.41)
The layers or elements covering the universes are each ten times thicker than the one
before, and all the universes clustered together appear like atoms in a huge combination
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(Bhagavata Purana 3.11.41)
Yoga Vashishtha the text which states conversations between Vashistha, a rig vedic teacher and
various Gods and Kakbhushubdi, a creature which stands outside the normal time and sees all. It
recounts the cyclical nature of time where Kakabhushundi has seen Ramayan 11 times with different
outcomes and seen Mahabharat 16 times with different results but after seeing Daksha Yagya twice, he
did not either care to see it again or so no point as it ended same way each time. Further conversations
talk about the atoms or anu at quantam level and inside each quantam level are different universes. A
sorrowful queen is shown her husband is still alive in one of quantam or atomic universes and ruling
wisely and is given the option to join him there. The idea of Heisenberg Principle is inunciated where a
rishi illustrates a decision tree by visiting and showing several parallel universes with all possible results
of that decision could occur and use that to illustrate why he took a decision he did in this universe.
See also [edit]
Hindu calendar
Hindu creationism
Hindu idealism
Hindu units of measurement
Indian astronomy
Jyotish
Notes [edit]
1. ^ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad Gita Translation and Commentary, Arkana, 1967 p. 253
2. ^ http://books.google.com/books?
id=QIvnxhasdGoC&pg=PA6&dq=hindu+cosmology&lr=&ei=g23qSeXaOIG4M9Sz6OkN#PPA8,M1
Time Scales and Environmental Change, Chapman and Driver, p.8
3. ^
a

b
Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad Gita Translation and Commentary, Arkana, 1967 p. 254
4. ^ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad Gita Translation and Commentary, Arkana, 1990 p. 254
5. ^ Maharishi Mahesh Yogi on the Bhagavad Gita Translation and Commentary, Arkana, 1967 p. 253
6. ^ Brodd, Jefferey (2003). World Religions. Saint Mary's Press. ISBN 978-088489-725-5.
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[show] V T E
7. ^ The Philosophy of Guru Nanak , Ishar Singh, 1985, p.134
8. ^ Singh, T D; Hinduism and Science
References [edit]
Haug, Martin (1863). The Aitareya Brahmanam of the Rigveda, Containing the Earliest Speculations
of the Brahmans on the Meaning of the Sacrificial Prayers. ISBN 0-404-57848-9.
Joseph, George G. (2000). The Crest of the Peacock: Non-European Roots of Mathematics, 2nd
edition. Penguin Books, London. ISBN 0-691-00659-8.
Kak, Subhash C. (2000). 'Birth and Early Development of Indian Astronomy'. In Selin, Helaine (2000).
Astronomy Across Cultures: The History of Non-Western Astronomy (303-340). Boston: Kluwer.
ISBN 0-7923-6363-9.
Teresi, Dick (2002). Lost Discoveries: The Ancient Roots of Modern Science - from the Babylonians
to the Maya. Simon & Schuster, New York. ISBN 0-684-83718-8.
Further reading [edit]
Date Panchang an Indian calendar published from Solapur city in Marathi language.[1]
& jyotish saagar by shantaram panduranga keni
External links [edit]
"Ancient Hindu Astronomy "
http://www.jqjacobs.net/astro/aryabhata.html
Bhagavad Gita, Chapter 8 verse 17
Hindu cosmology
Categories: Hindu cosmology Mythological cosmologies Religious cosmologies
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