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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 = 1avali Numerable avali = 1 ucshvasa 7 ucshvasa = 1 stoka 7 stoka = 1 lava 381/2 lava = 1 nali 2 nali = 1 muhurta (= 48 minutes) 30 muhurta = 1 dina-rata ( = 24 hours) 15 dina-rata = 1 paksa 2 paksa = 1 masa (month) 2 masa = 1 rtu 3 rtu = 1 ayana 2 ayana = 1 varsa (year) 5 varsa = 1 yuga 2 yuga = 10 varsa 10,000 x 10 varsa = 1 laksa (lakh) varsa 84x 1 laksa (lakh) varsa (years) = 1 purvanga 1 purva = 84 lakh x 1 purvanga = 84 lakh x 84 lakh years = 70560000000000 years (also, 1 purvakoti = 1 crore x 1 purva; 1 crore = 100 x 1 lakh = 100,00,000) 1 parvanga 1 parva = 84x1 purva = 84 lakh x1 parvanga 1 nayutanga = 84x1 parva 1 nayuta = 84 lakh x 1 nayutanga Excerpted from the forthcoming book "Acarya Samantbhadra's Svaymbhustotra - Adoration of The Twenty-four Tirthankara" by Vijay K. Jain, (2015), Vikalp Printers, Dehradun, India
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________________ 1 kumudanga = 84x1 nayuta 1 kumuda = 84 lakh x 1 kumudanga 1 padmanga = 84x1 kumuda 1 padma = 84 lakh x1 padmanga 1 nalinanga 1 nalina = 84 x 1 padma = 84 lakh x1 nalinanga 1 kamalanga = 84 x 1 nalina 1 kamala = 84 lakh x 1 kamalanga 1 trutitanga 1 trutita = 84x1 kamala = 84 lakh x1 trutitanga 1atatanga 1atata = 84x1 trutita = 84 lakh x1 atatanga The series continues in this fashion. The Jaina Scripture has named the elements of the series as: purvanga, purva, parvanga, parva, nayutanga, nayuta, kumudanga, kumuda, padmanga, padma, nalinanga, nalina, kamalanga, kamala, trutitanga, trutita, atatanga, atata, amamanga, amama, hahanga, haha, huhanga, huhu, latanga, lata, mahalatanga and mahalata. After this, 1 mahalata multiplied by 84 lakh gives 1 srikalpa. 1 srikalpa multiplied by 84 lakh gives 1 hastaprahelita. 1 hastaprahelita multiplied by 84 lakh gives 1 acalatma. It is mentioned that 84 multiplied by itself 31 times followed by ninety zeros constitutes 1 acalatma. These are divisions of numerable (sankhyata) time. Innumerable Time Time periods of still greater values are known as innumerable time (asankhyata); 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: vyavaharapalya leads to the time period known as vyavaharapalyopama; uddharapalya leads to the time period known as uddharapalyopama; and addhapalya leads to the time period known as addhapalyopama (palyopama or palya, in short). Further, 10 x 1 crore x 1 crore addhapalyopama = addhasagaropama (sagaropama or sagara, in short). Terms like palyopama and sagaropama 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 (kalpakala) in two parts or half-cycles (kala) - ascending (utsarpini) and descending (avasarpini) - each consisting of 10 x 1 crore x 1 crore addhasagaropama (10 kotikoti sagaropama). Thus, one cycle of time (kalpakala) gets over in 20 kotikoti sagaropama. During the ascending period (utsarpini) of the half-cycle (kala), in the regions of Bharata and Airavata, there is the all-round increase in age, strength, stature and happiness of the living beings, while during the descending period (avasarpini) 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 (avasarpini) half-cycle are termed as: 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
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________________ 6) dusama-dusama, of 21000 years duration. The ascending (utsarpini) 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 (dusama) of the descending (avasarpini) half-cycle. This period started after 3 years and 842 months of the liberation (nirvana) of the 24th Tirthankara Lord Mahavira. The complete cycle (kalpakala) of 20 kotikoti sagaropama 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.