History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c38.s3.11

v1.c38.s3.11

In the Smṛtis as also in the Sūryasiddhānta, the time division are 1 kalpa = 14 manus, 1 manu = 71 yugas and 1 yuga = 4320000 years. A small period preceding and following each Manu called twilight has also been conceived to make one kalpa equivalent to 1000 yugas. A portion is earmarked for the creation of the world, so that world-order starts, plants occupy the same place. Āryabhaṭa I (p. 496 A.D.) does not believe in the theory of creation and annihilation of the world. For him, the time is a continous process, without begining and end (anādi and ananta). The begining of yuga and kalpa, according to him, having nothing to do with terrestrial occurance, they are accordingly based on astronomical phenomena. Āryabhaṭa I rejected the highly artificial time division with the following : 1 kalpa = 14 manus; 1 manu = 72 yugas; 1 yuga = 4320000 years. One yuga was again divided into 4 small yugas viz. kṛta (17,28000 years). Tretā (12,96000 years) Dvāpara (8,64000 years), and Kali (4,32000 years). So the Sūryasiddhānta and Āryabhata I believe that the current Kaliyuga began on Friday 18, 3102 B.C.