$JES 904 Compendium of Jainism (Jain Academic Bowl Manual 3rd Edition)

Author(s): JAINA Education Committee
Publisher: JAINA Education Committee

Page 48

PHILOSOPHY
B05 - Six Universal Substances II: Non-Living Substances
Two views exist in Jainism with regards to time:
1) Time is an imaginary thing; it has no real existence.
2) Time has a real existence consisting of innumerable time atoms.
The smallest indivisible portion of time is called Samaya. Combination of Samaya are called moment, second, minute, hour, day, month, year and so on.
The smallest change in a substance, which can be measured by the knowledge of Arihanta (Kevali) is called Samaya, which is the basic unit of time.
Jainism regards historical time as cyclical. The universe moves through lengthy eras of time. Time is infinite, without any beginning or end. Time is divided into infinite equal time cycles (Kälchakras). Every time cycle is further subdivided in two equal halves. The first half is the progressive or ascending cycle and is called Utsarpini. The other half is the regressive or the descending cycle called Avasarpini. Every Utsarpini and Avasarpini (half cycle) is divided into six unequal periods called Äräs. During the Utsarpini half cycle, progress, development, happiness, strength, age, body, religious trends, etc., go from the worst conditions to the best. During the Avasarpini half cycle, progress, development, happiness, strength, age, body, religious trends, etc. go from the best conditions to the worst. Presently, we are in the fifth Ärä of the Avasarpini phase. When the Avasarpini phase ends, the Utsarpini phase begins. The Kälchakra repeats and continues forever. Usually this is described by Jains as the series of downward and upward movements of a point on the rim of a turning wheel. The downward movement is called Avasarpini (half cycle) and the upward movement is called Utsarpini (other half cycle). Each full turn of the wheel is called a kalpa.
The total duration of the entire time cycle is Twenty Koda Kodi Sägaropam unit = 20 x 10E7 x 10E7 Sägaropam. In short it is called 20KK (20E14) Sägar time.
The name and the order of the six Äräs of the regressive half cycle are defined below.
All Tirthankars are born in the 3rd and 4th Äräs in our region. At present, we are in the 5th Ärä of the regressive half cycle known as Unhappy Ärä (2500 years have passed of its total duration of 21, 000 years). The progressive half cycle time has the reverse order.
Innumerable Samays
One Ävali (time required to blink an eye)
16,777,216 Ävalis
30 Muhurts
15 days
2 fortnights
12 months
5 Years
8,400,000 x 8,400,000 years
Innumerable years
10 x 10,000,000 x 10,000,000 Palyopams 10 x 10,000,000 x 10,000,000 Sägaropams
20 x 10,000,000 x 10,000,000 Sägaropams
Page 48 of 398
One Muhurt (48 minutes)
One day
One fortnight
One month
One year
One Yuga
One Purva (70,560,000,000,000 Years)
One Palyopams*
One Sägaropam
Avasarpini or Utsarpini (Half Cycle) One Time Cycle
The names and duration of each part of Six Aras are as follows: Happy Happy (happiness all the time) Happy (happiness)
Sukham Sukham Käl Sukham Käl
Compendium of Jainism - 2015
4 x 1014 Sägaropams
3 x 1014 Sägaropams