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DIVISIONS OF EMPIRICAL TIME IN JAINISM
Numerable Time The smallest and indivisible period of empirical time is called samaya. Further divisions are represented as:
Innumerable samaya = 1āvali Numerable āvali = 1 ucсhvāsa 7 ucсhvāsa = 1 stoka 7 stoka = 1 lava 381/2 lava = 1 nāli 2 nālī = 1 muhūrta (= 48 minutes) 30 muhurta = 1 dina-rāta ( = 24 hours) 15 dina-rāta = 1 paksa 2 paksa = 1 māsa (month) 2 māsa = 1 rtu 3 rtu = 1 ayana 2 ayana = 1 varsa (year) 5 varşa = 1 yuga 2 yuga = 10 varsa 10,000 x 10 varsa = 1 lakṣa (lakh) varsa 84x 1 lakṣa (lakh) varsa (years) = 1 pūrvānga
1 pūrva
= 84 lakh x 1 pūrvanga = 84 lakh x 84 lakh years = 70560000000000 years (also, 1 pūrvakoti = 1 crore x 1 pūrva; 1 crore = 100 x 1 lakh = 100,00,000)
1 parvānga 1 parva
= 84x1 pūrva = 84 lakh x1 parvānga
1 nayutānga = 84x1 parva 1 nayuta = 84 lakh x 1 nayutānga
Excerpted from the forthcoming book "Acarya Samantbhadra's Svaymbhūstotra - Adoration of The Twenty-four Tīrthankara" by Vijay K. Jain, (2015), Vikalp Printers, Dehradun, India
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1 kumudānga = 84x1 nayuta 1 kumuda = 84 lakh x 1 kumudānga
1 padmānga = 84x1 kumuda 1 padma = 84 lakh x1 padmānga
1 nalinanga 1 nalina
= 84 x 1 padma = 84 lakh x1 nalinānga
1 kamalānga = 84 x 1 nalina 1 kamala = 84 lakh x 1 kamalānga
1 truţitānga 1 truțita
= 84x1 kamala = 84 lakh x1 trutitānga
1ațațānga 1ațața
= 84x1 truțita = 84 lakh x1 ațațānga
The series continues in this fashion. The Jaina Scripture has named the elements of the series as: pūrvānga, pūrvā, parvānga, parva, nayutānga, nayuta, kumudānga, kumuda, padmānga, padma, nalinānga, nalina, kamalānga, kamala, truțitānga, truțita, ațațānga, ațața, amamānga, amama, hāhānga, hāhā, hūhānga, hūhū, latānga, latā, mahālatānga and mahālatā. After this, 1 mahālatā multiplied by 84 lakh gives 1 śrikalpa. 1 śrikalpa multiplied by 84 lakh gives 1 hastaprahelita. 1 hastaprahelita multiplied by 84 lakh gives 1 acalātma. It is mentioned that 84 multiplied by itself 31 times followed by ninety zeros constitutes 1 acalātma.
These are divisions of numerable (sankhyāta) time.
Innumerable Time Time periods of still greater values are known as innumerable time (asankhyāta); these are not expressed in years but in terms of the time
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required to perform certain mental activities as mentioned in the Scripture. Briefly, numbers expressing innumerable time periods, are expressed, in ascending order, as under:
vyavahārapalya leads to the time period known as vyavahārapalyopama; uddhārapalya leads to the time period known as uddhārapalyopama; and addhāpalya leads to the time period known as addhāpalyopama (palyopama or palya, in short). Further, 10 x 1 crore x 1 crore addhāpalyopama = addhāsāgaropama (sāgaropama or sāgara, in short).
Terms like palyopama and sāgaropama are used to express the age of worldly souls, the duration of karmas, and the worldly cycle of time.
Jaina cosmology divides the worldly cycle of time (kalpakāla) in two parts or half-cycles (kāla) - ascending (utsarpiņi) and descending (avasarpiņi) - each consisting of 10 x 1 crore x 1 crore addhāsāgaropama (10 kotikotī sāgaropama). Thus, one cycle of time (kalpakāla) gets over in 20 kotikotī sāgaropama. During the ascending period (utsarpiņi) of the half-cycle (kāla), in the regions of Bharata and Airāvata, there is the all-round increase in age, strength, stature and happiness of the living beings, while during the descending period (avasarpiņī) of the half-cycle, there is the all-round deterioration. Just as the moon continues its never-ending journey of waxing and waning luminance, there is incessant and eternal revolution of the worldly cycle of time in these regions.
Each half-cycle is further divided into six periods of time. The periods in the descending (avasarpiņi) half-cycle are termed as:
1) suşamā-suşamā, of 4 kotikotī sāgaropama duration; 2) suşamā, of 3 kotikotī sāgaropama duration; 3) suşamā-duşamā, of 2 kotikotī sāgaropama duration; 4) duşamā-suşamā, of 1 kotikotī sāgaropama minus 42000 years
duration; 5) duşamā, of 21000 years duration; and
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6) duşamā-duşamā, of 21000 years duration.
The ascending (utsarpiņī) half-cycle has the same periods of time but in reverse order. In this half-cycle there is the all-round, progressive increase in age, strength, stature and happiness of the living beings.
We are presently living in the fifth period (duşamā) of the descending (avasarpiņī) half-cycle. This period started after 3 years and 842 months of the liberation (nirvāņa) of the 24th Tīrthankara Lord Mahāvīra.
The complete cycle (kalpakāla) of 20 kotikotī sāgaropama duration is represented in the Figure (see next page).
Time periods beyond these values are termed as infinite (ananta) in Jaina cosmology.
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________________ Figure of Worldly Time-Cycle (Applicable to Bharata and Airavata Regions) (not to scale) Descending hal ding half-cycle Ascending half. nding half-cycle [ 32/165 121654 Ascending (utsarpini) half-cycle 1) dusama-dusama, of 21000 years duration; 2) dusama, of 21000 years duration; 3) dusama-susama, of 1 kotikoti sagaropama minus 42000 years duration; 4) susama-dusama, of 2 kotikoti sagaropama duration; 5) susama, of 3 kotikoti sagaropama duration, and 6) susama-susama, of 4 kotikoti sagaropama duration. Descending (avasarpini) half-cycle 1) susama-susama, of 4 kotikoti sagaropama duration; 2) susama, of 3 kotikoti sagaropama duration; 3) susama-dusama, of 2 kotikoti sagaropama duration; 4) dusama-susama, of 1 kotikoti sagaropama minus 42000 years duration; 5) dusama, of 21000 years duration; and 6) dusama-dusama, of 21000 years duration.