History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.770.3

v6.c82.770.3

All these works contain the same general features but there are many divergences in details As the Manusmṛti contains one of the oldest accounts, a summary of its remarks will be first set out First, seven Manus are enumerated viz Svāyambhuva, Svārocisa, Uttama, Tāmasa, Raivata, Cākṣuṣa and Vaivasvata. Then divisions of time from *nimeṣa* are specified (18 *nimeṣa* = Kāṣṭhā, 30 Kāṣṭhās = Kalā, 30 Kalās = Muhūrta, 30 Muhūrtas = ahorātra); it is then said that the human month is the day and night of *pitṛs*, the human year is divine *ahorātra*. Kṛta-yuga extends over 4000¹⁰⁸² years, *sandhyā* (twilight) before it is 400 years, *sandhyāṁśa* after it is 400 years. The three other yugas Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali have respectively 3000, 2000, 1000 years and *sandhyās* and *sandhyāṁśas* together of respectively 600, 400 and 200 years. The four yugas thus come to 12000 years (4800 plus 3600 plus 2400 plus 1200); this is called the yuga of gods (i e this is the *divya* measure) and 1000 of these four come to one day of Brahmā and the same is the extent of the night of Brahmā Seventy-one yugas of 12000 divine years each constitute a manvantara and Manu (I. 80) winds up by saying that manvantaras are numberless¹⁰⁸³ and so are creations and dissolutions It should be noticed that the word Kalpa does not occur in this long enumeration. But in other works than the Manusmṛti e g. Viṣṇupurāṇa (VI. 3. 11-12) fourteen Manvantaras are said to constitute a Kalpa, which is a day of Brahmā.