Paper 2, Lesson 6, MA(Astrology) 1 year, Measurement of time

M.A. ASTROLOGY – I YEAR – PAPER II

 

 

Lesson No.6: Measurement of Time

 

Time means cyclic occurance of duration between two phenomenon.  It may be an hour or year.  It can be measured through clock or determined through Almanac (Panchanga).  This type of measurement was not there in the olden days.  The time used to be determined by observing Sun movement in the Sky.  Astrology suggests to performs rituals choosing on the right time. Accordingly time division came into proinance.  With this result, Hindu astrology considers the solar day to be from one sunrise to the next.

 

DAY:   The duration between two consecutive Sun rises is treated as a Day.  This is equal to 24 hours or 60 ghatis.  As the speed of revolution of the earth around the Sun is not constant, this 24 hours duration also slightly changes.  This is called Solar Day.  In addition to this, the duration of one rotation of the earth with reference to a  fixed star is called Siderial Day.   This is equal to 23 hours and 56 minutes which is constant and accurate.  Thus the solar day duration is more by 4 minutes than the sideral day.

 

MONTH:  Month is formed  based on the transit of the Moon.  As waxing and waning is a phenomenon, this also has been taken as a measurement of time.  The duration between two New Moons or two Full Moons is called a Month.   This is noted as a SYNODIC month.  The time taken by the Moon to start from a fixed star and then to reach the same star is noted as a “SIDEREAL Month” This is approximately equal to 29.333 days. Synodic month and Sidereal month are not equal. The reason is that by completion of sidereal month, the moon is not reaching a point where it can be in one straight line along with Earth and Sun to form New Moon. Please see fig. on page No.119 of Paper—II text book.

 

YEAR:

Sidereal Year: The period taken by the Earth to make a revolution once in its orbit with reference to a fixed background star is known as a sidereal year.  The duration of  a sidereal year is 365 days 6 months 9 minutes and 9.8 seconds.

 

Tropical year:  the period taken by the Sun from one vernal equinox (21^st March) to the next vernal equinox is known as a tropical year. The duration  is equal to 365 days 5 hours 48 minutes 45 seconds. (Around 21^st March and 23^rd September, the sun appears overhead at the equator causing vernal and autumnal equinox respectively. During these days, the duration of day and night are equal.)  Vernal Equinox  is also known as the first point of sayana Aries and is the reference point for many astronomical and astrological calculations.

 

 

Solar Year:  The period when the Sun travels from beginning of Aries to end of Pisces is called the Solar year.

 

Savana year: It is the year containing 360 days of 12 calendar months consisting of 30 days each.

 

Lunar year: The duration of 12 synodic months is equal to one lunar year.  Synodic month is the duration between two New Moons or two Full moons.

 

Hindu time measures:

 

1 day                             =   60 ghatis                  =   24 hours

1 ghati                           =   60 vighatis or palas  =   24 minutes

1 vighati                        =   60 liptas                   =    24 seconds

 

Or

 

1 hour                            =   2.5 ghatis

1 minute                        =   2.5 palas

1 second                       =    2.5 vipalas                                                                                  

 

MEASUREMENT OF TIME (KALA MANAS):

 

There are 9 types of measurements of time in the ancient Hindu Astrology.  These are:

1. Brahma Mana 2) Prajapatya Mana 3) Divya mana 4) Pitrya Mana 5) Guru Mana 6) Soura (solar)  Mana 7) Nakshatra (sidereal)  Mana 8) Chandra (Lunar) mana 9) Savana Mana.
    
   Brahma Mana:  This is stated with reference to Yugas.
    
                       Krita Yuga                      = 1728000 years
                       Treta Yuga                      = 1296000 years
                       Dwapara Yuga                =   864000 years
                       Kali Yuga                        =   432000 yugas
                                                                   ----------
                       1 Maha yuga                   = 4320000 yugas
                                                                  -----------
   Such 71 Maha yugas                           = 1 Manvantara
            14 Manvantaras                          = 1 Kalpa
              1 Kalpa                                     = 4320000000 solar years (432 crores)
    
   (There will be a sandhi kala equal to one Krita Yuga in between two Manvantaras)
    
   Thus    1 Kalpa                                    = Starting Sandhi + 14 Manvantaras + 14
                                                                  Krita yuga sandhis i.e.
                                                                  1728000 + 14(306720000 + 1728000)
                                                                  4320000000 solar years or 1000 Manvantaras
    
   It has been stated in the Surya Siddhanta that the creation of planets etc was started after 474 hundred devine years from the beginning of kalpa while the interior time is annihilation (Pralayam)
   One Kalpa is half day (light) and another Kalpa (night portion) is pralaya. Two kalpas are equivalent to one day for Brahma, the creator.  Thus the longevity of Brahma is 100 such years.  There are 9 such Brahmas. Present age of Brahma is (second half) 51^st year, 1^st month and 1^st day which is called Swethavarahakalpa.  That is 27 Mahayugas are completed and 28^th Mahayuga with 1^st pada of Kaliyuga.
   Thus the human tenure is only a tiny micro part in the gtreat macro time system of the Universe.
   In Mahayuga all the planets were at the starting point of Aswini star.  The planets also enter Aswini star at the end of Kalpa also.
    
   Divine Kala:  In this one solar year becomes a day (ahoratra) for the Gods and devils. The day for Gods is night for devils and vice versa.. 360 such divine days are equivalent to one divine year. 12000 divine years  form one Chaturyuga. Or Maha yuga.
    
   Prajapatya Kala:. Manavas are the sons of Prajapathi.  So they are called as prajapatyas. Their time measurement is named as prajapatya time measurement.  71 mahayugas form  one manvantara. At the end of this, there will be sandhya kala equal to 4800 divine years. This time is treated as water annihilation (Jala Pralaya).
    
   Forefathers’ Kala:  This is called as “Pitraya Mana”.  30 Tithis form one day to the Forefathers or Pitru Devatas. The fortnight ending with the new-moon is Krishna Paksha while that ending with new moon is Sukla Paksha. Krishna Paksha is mid day (noon) for the Pitru Devatas while Sukla  Paksha is mid-night.
    
   Barhaspatya Kala:  As per the Barhaspatya mana, the star of the lunar-tidhi on which day Jupiter either rises or sets in, is the basis for the nomenclature of the year. For example, if the new moon day of vysakha masa falls on Krittikas star, that year is named as Kartikabda.  If the new moon day of Jyesta mana falls on Mrigasira star, that year is called Margasirshabda and so on.  But now a days, astrologers are writing in the almanacs about the name of the year in accordance with the rising sun of Jupiteras per the Barhaspatya mana.
    
   Barhaspatya Year: The duration of transit of Jupiter planet in a sign equivalent to 361 days. For example, Jupiter entered the sign Sagittarius on 22-11-2007 and again leave to enter Capricorn on 10-12-2008. Pushkarams (auspeciousness for every 12 years) to a particular river  commence with the entry of Jupiter in a sign.  Pushkarams held for the river Pushkarini (Rajasthan)  at the time of entry of Jupiter in the sign Sagittarius. Again Pushkarams will be held for the river Tungabhadra at the time of Jupiter’s entry into the sign of Capricorn. All the Rivers have Adi Pushkarams. But River Godavari (in Leo Sign) has both Adi and Antya (first 12 days and last 12 days) Pushkarams.