History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.767

v6.c82.767

After dealing with time measures from *yuga* (of five years) down to weekdays and the day one must now briefly deal with the other measures of time such as Yuga, Mahāyuga, Manvantara and Kalpa The word Kalpa has its germ in the Ṛgveda¹⁰⁸⁰ X. 190 3, where it is said that the Creator created the Sun and the Moon, the heaven, the earth and mid-region as before' The earliest datable reference to Kalpa is found in Aśoka's edicts e g the 4th Rock edict¹⁰⁸¹ at Girnar and Kalsi have 'āva savata kapā' (*yāvat saṁvartakalpam*) and 'āva kapam' in the 5th Rock Edict at Shahabazgarhi and Mansera This establishes that the theories about the vast extent of Kalpa had been promulgated in India long before the third century B C. The Buddhists also took over the theory of Kalpas as is clear from the Mahāparinibbānasutta III, 53 'Vouchsafe, Lord, to remain during the Kalpa Live on, O Blessed One, through the Kalpa for the good and happiness of the great multitudes &c.'.