In the scriptures, the time has been calculated in the following manner: -
One type of time destroys the world and the other type is calculative i.e. can be known. It is also of two types- gross and subtle. Gross can be measured, hence it is called concrete and subtle cannot be measured, hence it is called abstract.
The first type of time cannot even be imagined, because neither it is known when it began nor it will be known when it will end. It is continuous and all-pervasive; but in its midst or while it is present, the world comes to an end. The Brahma dev is born, creates the world and destroys it, but time remains. That is why it is called the destroyer of the worlds. That is why death is also called time.
The small middle part of time which can be known; even that which is very small cannot be measured and is called abstract. The more subtle the measurement, the newer the definition of abstract time will be.
All the units of time from Praan to above are called Murt and the units from Truti to below Praan are called Murt. 6 Praans make one Vinadi (moment) and 60 Vinadis make one Naadi (clock). 60 Naadis make one Nakshatra Ahoratran (a pair of day and night) and 30 Nakshatra Ahoratrans make one Nakshatra month. Similarly, 30 Savan days make one Savan month. Similarly, 30 lunar dates make one lunar month and the time from one Sankranti to another Sankranti is called Solar month. 12 months make one year; which is called Divyadin or the day of the Gods.
If a healthy person is sitting comfortably, then the time taken by him to easily inhale and exhale air (prana vayu) is called prana. This is the smallest unit that could be measured at that time. There was no means of measuring less time than this at that time; therefore it was called amarut. Now such watches are made by which it is easy to measure even that unit which is called amarut. There are 60 ghadis in a nakshatra day = 60 X 60 pal = 60 X 60 X 60 pranas or 21600 pranas. Similarly, there are 24 hours in a day = 24 X 60 minutes 24 X 60 X 60 seconds or 86400 seconds. Therefore there are 4 seconds in 1 prana. Everyone knows how easy it is to measure seconds by a watch which has a needle to tell the seconds. There are such watches also by which one fifth or one tenth of a second can be easily known. But one-tenth of a second is equal to one-fortieth of 1 Prana. Therefore, nowadays some units below Prana can also be called concrete.
Prana is also called asu.
Pal is also the name of a unit of measurement, which is equal to four tolas. The time taken for 1 pal or 4 tolas of water to rise in the ghatika instrument through a hole of a particular size is called a pal.
There is an action (motion) in the sixth part of the 'atom' of the trisrenu which looks fine in the rays of the sun and moon entering the house. That action-generating time is called a 'moment'. After that action, the time gets divided (separated) from its place. That divided time is called the second (second) 'moment' and the time of those two moments is called 'eklav'. In this way, three 'lav' together is called a 'nimesh' or blinking of an eye. Such three nimesh means it is called a 'kaksh'. Three rooms are called 'kashth'. Thirty Kashthas are called 'Kana', thirty Kanas are called 'Muhurta', the 'Solar Year' is called 'Human Day' or (Sun's year is of 24 hours and human day is also of 24 hours. Such time of 15 human days is called one 'Paksha'. 2 months make one 'season', 3 seasons make one 'Ayana', 2 Pakshas make a 'month', Ayana's human year is one and solar year is 360). Such time of 1000 human years is called 'Paad' (or 3 lakh 60 thousand solar years make one 'Paad'). Such four Paads are called one 'Yuga'. The names of these 4 Paads are as follows-
1. Process foot
2. Ancillary foot
3. Subduction foot and
4. Destruction foot.
The concept of 'truti' is as follows. The time taken for the eyelid to close is called nimesh. One thirtieth part of one nimesh is called tatpar and one hundredth part of one tatpar is called truti. The relation of the units above nimesh is as follows:-
18 nimesh = 1 kashtha
30 kashtha = 1 kala
30 kala = 1 ghatika
2 ghatika = 1 muhurta
3
0 muhurta = 1 day (Nakshatra)
Thus 1 sidereal day = 30 X 2 X 30 X 30 X 18 nimesh = 972000
It has been shown earlier that there are 21600 pranas or 86400 seconds in 1 day, hence there are 972000 ÷ 21600 nimesh or 45 nimesh in 1 prana and 1 second has 11.25 nimesh.
Nakshatra Day and Night -
Nakshatra means star, star group and the 27th part of the circle on which the sun appears to revolve once in a year. Due to the daily motion of the earth, all the stars in the sky rise in the east, move towards the west, set in the west and then rise in the east. Note the time of the rising of any star by looking at the clock and see when that star rises again. If the clock is correct then the time between these two risings is approximately 23 hours 56 minutes and 4 seconds. This is called Nakshatra Day and Night or simply Nakshatra day. It is always the same, it does not increase or decrease (if the very subtle motion of the stars is not considered). Therefore, astrologers calculate the time from this
Sawan day -
The time from one sunrise to the next sunrise is called Sawan day. It is about 4 minutes longer than the Nakshatra day. The value of Sawan day is not the same. Therefore, the value of the middle Sawan day is the same time which is known through clocks.
Aindva Tithi or Chandra Tithi -
When the moon, while revolving in the sky, reaches very close to the sun, then it is Amavasya. The time from one Amavasya to the next Amavasya is called Chandramas. Its average value is 29.530587946 medium Savan days. After Amavasya, the moon keeps moving ahead of the sun towards the east and when it is 12 degrees ahead, then the first Tithi (Pariva) passes, when there is a difference of 12 degrees to 24 degrees, then there is Duij. When the moon is ahead of the sun from 24 degrees to 36 degrees, then there is Teej. When the difference is from 178 to 180 degrees, then there is Purnima, when the moon is ahead from 180 degrees to 192 degrees, then there is 16th Tithi or Pariva (Pratipada), from 192° to 204° there is Duij, and so on. After the full moon, the moon rises about 2 Ghadi (48 minutes) behind the sunset every day. The 14, 15 days from the full moon to the new moon are called Krishna Paksha. The new moon is also called the 30th tithi, that is why 30 is written for the new moon in the Panchangs
Solar month-
The path on which the sun revolves in the sky is called the ecliptic. Its twelfth part is called the zodiac. When the centre of the solar system enters from one zodiac sign to another, then the sankranti of the second zodiac sign occurs. The time from one sankranti to the next is called the solar month. The 12 solar months differ in magnitude; the reason for this is that the speed of the sun is not always the same. When the speed of the sun is fast then it completes one zodiac sign quickly and that solar month is short. On the contrary, when the speed of the sun is slow then the solar month is long.
Year -
There are as many types of years as there are types of months. Twelve lunar months make a lunar year, 12 monsoon months make a monsoon year and twelve solar months make a solar year. Our astrologers have traditionally believed this. The twelve months that have been called a year are not any other months, they are only solar months.
Divyadin-
The North Pole of the Earth is said to be the place of residence of the Gods and the South Pole is the place of residence of the demons. Therefore, the North Pole is called Dev-lok and the South Pole is called Asurlok. When the Sun comes on the Equinox, the day and night are equal. This event happens only twice in a year. The Sun remains north of the Equinox for 6 months and south for 6 months. In the first half, the day is longer and night is shorter in the North Hemisphere and the day is shorter and night is longer in the South Hemisphere. In the second half, the exact opposite happens. But when the Sun remains north of the Equinox, it is always visible on the North Pole (on Sumeru Mountain) for 6 months and is not visible on the South Pole during this time. Therefore, this half year is called the day of the Gods and the night of the demons. When the Sun remains south of the Equinox for 6 months, the Gods cannot see it on the North Pole and the demons can see it for 6 months. Therefore, this half year is called the night of the Gods and the day of the demons. Therefore our 12 months are like one day and night of the gods or demons.
Surāsurāṇāmanyonyamahorātraṃ viparyayāt।
Ṣaṭ ṣaṣṭisaṅguṇaṃ divyaṃ varṣamāsurameva ca॥
The day of the gods is the night of the demons and the night of the gods is called the day of the demons. This 60 x 6 times the day and night of a god or demon is called a divine or demon year.
What is Satyayug, Tretayug, Dwaparyug, Kaliyug?
The speed of time increases from the minute units of time calculation like Nimesh, Kashtha, Kala, Ghatika, Muhurta, day, fortnight, season, Ayan, year towards the larger form of Yug, Manvantar, Kalpa. Which is a big cycle of time.
12000 years = 1 Chaturyuga
71 Chaturyug = 1 Manvantar
14 Manvantara = 1 Kalpa
