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TULSI-PRAJNA
canonical scriptures and other treatises. They are as under : According to Jaina doctrine the time-cycle has two main divisions called utsarpini and avasarpiņi in Jaina-terminology. The avasapini. kala is the time of our modern cosmic calendar. The avasarpinikala has six sub-divisions called aras, spokes of the wheel of time i.e. era or epoch. According to Kalpasūtra, a Jaina canonical scripture, the
irst spoke (ala) is called suşa ma-suşama and its duration is of four kodakodi (4x 10,00,00,00 x 10,00,00,00) i.e. 4x1016 sägaropamas (ocean-measured periods of time). One sägaropama is equal to 1015 palyopamas (glass measured periods of time). In short the duration of time of the first ie suşama-suşama arā is equal to 1029 palyopama vears. Palyopama is the smallest of big units of time. The number of years in a palyopama is certain but not clearly understood and cannot be shown in figures. Even in Agams and other scriptures cay that a palvopama has innumerable years. This is, therefore, a matter for further research. The second ärā (spoke of time-wheel) is called suşama. Its duration is of 3 x 102° palyopamas. The third árā is called suşama-duhşama and it has 2 x 10% palyopama years. The fourth ärā is duhşama-suşama. It has a duration of 42000 years less 1x 1039 palyopama years. The fifth ārā is called duhşama. It has only 21000 years. The sixth dra is called duhşama-duhşama. It also bas 21000 years. Thus, the total duration of avasarpini is of 1080 palyopama years. Reverse is the order of utsarpiņi. Both to-gether make a time-cycle of 2x 1080 palyopama years.
Non-Jain books of Indian culture also give a similar description of time. The Manusmrti and its commentators divide the life-time of the cosmos i.e. universe into four divisions, namely, krta, tretā, dvāpara and kalt. There is sandhyā in the beginning and sandhyānsa at the end of every epoch kpta --sandhya 400 years, the main division 4000 years, sandhyanga
400 years treta -sandhya 300 year, the main division 3000 years, sandhyanga
300 years dvæpara-sandhya 200 years, the main division 2000 years, sandh
yaśa 200 years kali-sandhya 100 years, the main division 1000 years, sandhyansa
100 years According to the commentators, this number is of heavenly years and each year in heaven is as long as 360 years of man (human/years on earth). All these four epoches make a devayuga add 1000 devayugas make a Brahma's day.
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