Chapter 11: Calculation of Time, from the Atom

 

3.11.1

maitreya uvāca

caramaḥ sad-viśeṣāṇām

aneko 'saḿyutaḥ sadā

paramāṇuḥ sa vijñeyo

nṛṇām aikya-bhramo yataḥ

 

maitreyaḥ uvāca — Maitreya said; caramaḥ — ultimate; sat — effect; viśeṣāṇām — symptoms; anekaḥ — innumerable; asaḿyutaḥ — unmixed; sadā — always; parama-aṇuḥ — atoms; saḥ — that; vijñeyaḥ — should be understood; nṛṇām — of men; aikya — oneness; bhramaḥ — mistaken; yataḥ — from which.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The material manifestation's ultimate particle, which is indivisible and not formed into a body, is called the atom. It exists always as an invisible identity, even after the dissolution of all forms. The material body is but a combination of such atoms, but it is misunderstood by the common man.

 

3.11.2

sata eva padārthasya

svarūpāvasthitasya yat

kaivalyaḿ parama-mahān

aviśeṣo nirantaraḥ

 

sataḥ — of the effective manifestation; eva — certainly; pada-arthasya — of physical bodies; svarūpa-avasthitasya — staying in the same form even to the time of dissolution; yat — that which; kaivalyam — oneness; parama — the supreme; mahān — unlimited; aviśeṣaḥ — forms; nirantaraḥ — eternally.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Atoms are the ultimate state of the manifest universe. When they stay in their own forms without forming different bodies, they are called the unlimited oneness. There are certainly different bodies in physical forms, but the atoms themselves form the complete manifestation.

 

3.11.3

evaḿ kālo 'py anumitaḥ

saukṣmye sthaulye ca sattama

saḿsthāna-bhuktyā bhagavān

avyakto vyakta-bhug vibhuḥ

 

evam — thus; kālaḥ — time; api — also; anumitaḥ — measured; saukṣmye — in the subtle; sthaulye — in the gross forms; ca — also; sattama — O best; saḿsthāna — combinations of the atoms; bhuktyā — by the motion; bhagavān — the Supreme Personality of Godhead; avyaktaḥ — unmanifested; vyakta-bhuk — controlling all physical movement; vibhuḥ — the great potential.

 

TRANSLATION

 

One can estimate time by measuring the movement of the atomic combination of bodies. Time is the potency of the almighty Personality of Godhead, Hari, who controls all physical movement although He is not visible in the physical world.

 

3.11.4

sa kālaḥ paramāṇur vai

yo bhuńkte paramāṇutām

sato 'viśeṣa-bhug yas tu

sa kālaḥ paramo mahān

 

saḥ — that; kālaḥ — eternal time; parama-aṇuḥ — atomic; vai — certainly; yaḥ — which; bhuńkte — passes through; parama-aṇutām — the space of an atom; sataḥ — of the entire aggregate; aviśeṣa-bhuk — passing through the nondual exhibition; yaḥ tu — which; saḥ — that; kālaḥ — time; paramaḥ — the supreme; mahān — the great.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Atomic time is measured according to its covering a particular atomic space. That time which covers the unmanifest aggregate of atoms is called the great time.

 

3.11.5

aṇur dvau paramāṇū syāt

trasareṇus trayaḥ smṛtaḥ

jālārka-raśmy-avagataḥ

kham evānupatann agāt

 

aṇuḥ — double atom; dvau — two; parama-aṇu — atoms; syāt — become; trasareṇuḥ — hexatom; trayaḥ — three; smṛtaḥ — considered; jāla-arka — of sunshine through the holes of a window screen; raśmi — by the rays; avagataḥ — can be known; kham eva — towards the sky; anupatan agāt — going up.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The division of gross time is calculated as follows: two atoms make one double atom, and three double atoms make one hexatom. This hexatom is visible in the sunshine which enters through the holes of a window screen. One can clearly see that the hexatom goes up towards the sky.

 

3.11.6

trasareṇu-trikaḿ bhuńkte

yaḥ kālaḥ sa truṭiḥ smṛtaḥ

śata-bhāgas tu vedhaḥ syāt

tais tribhis tu lavaḥ smṛtaḥ

 

trasareṇu-trikam — combination of three hexatoms; bhuńkte — as they take time to integrate; yaḥ — that which; kālaḥ — duration of time; saḥ — that; truṭiḥ — by the name truṭi; smṛtaḥ — is called; śata-bhāgaḥ — one hundred truṭis; tu — but; vedhaḥ — called a vedha; syāt — it so happens; taiḥ — by them; tribhiḥ — three times; tu — but; lavaḥ — lava; smṛtaḥ — so called.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The time duration needed for the integration of three trasareṇus is called a truṭi, and one hundred truṭis make one vedha. Three vedhas make one lava.

 

3.11.7

nimeṣas tri-lavo jñeya

āmnātas te trayaḥ kṣaṇaḥ

kṣaṇān pañca viduḥ kāṣṭhāḿ

laghu tā daśa pañca ca

 

nimeṣaḥ — the duration of time called a nimeṣa; tri-lavaḥ — the duration of three lavas; jñeyaḥ — is to be known; āmnātaḥ — it is so called; te — they; trayaḥ — three; kṣaṇaḥ — the duration of time called a kṣaṇa; kṣaṇān — such kṣaṇas; pañca — five; viduḥ — one should understand; kāṣṭhām — the duration of time called a kāṣṭhā; laghu — the duration of time called a laghu; tāḥ — those; daśa pañca — fifteen; ca — also.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The duration of time of three lavas is equal to one nimeṣa, the combination of three nimeṣas makes one kṣaṇa, five kṣaṇas combined together make one kāṣṭhā, and fifteen kāṣṭhās make one laghu.

 

3.11.8

laghūni vai samāmnātā

daśa pañca ca nāḍikā

te dve muhūrtaḥ praharaḥ

ṣaḍ yāmaḥ sapta vā nṛṇām

 

laghūni — such laghus (each of two minutes); vai — exactly; samāmnātā — is called; daśa pañca — fifteen; ca — also; nāḍikā — a nāḍikā; te — of them; dve — two; muhūrtaḥ — a moment; praharaḥ — three hours; ṣaṭ — six; yāmaḥ — one fourth of a day or night; sapta — seven; vā — or; nṛṇām — of human calculation.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Fifteen laghus make one nāḍikā, which is also called a daṇḍa. Two daṇḍas make one muhūrta, and six or seven daṇḍas make one fourth of a day or night, according to human calculation.

 

3.11.9

dvādaśārdha-palonmānaḿ

caturbhiś catur-ańgulaiḥ

svarṇa-māṣaiḥ kṛta-cchidraḿ

yāvat prastha-jala-plutam

 

dvādaśa-ardha — six; pala — of the scale of weight; unmānam — measuring pot; caturbhiḥ — by weight of four; catuḥ-ańgulaiḥ — four fingers by measure; svarṇa — of gold; māṣaiḥ — of the weight; kṛta-chidram — making a hole; yāvat — as long as; prastha — measuring one prastha; jala-plutam — filled by water.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The measuring pot for one nāḍikā, or daṇḍa, can be prepared with a six-pala-weight [fourteen ounce] pot of copper, in which a hole is bored with a gold probe weighing four māṣa and measuring four fingers long. When the pot is placed on water, the time before the water overflows in the pot is called one daṇḍa.

 

3.11.10

yāmāś catvāraś catvāro

martyānām ahanī ubhe

pakṣaḥ pañca-daśāhāni

śuklaḥ kṛṣṇaś ca mānada

 

yāmāḥ — three hours; catvāraḥ — four; catvāraḥ — and four; martyānām — of the human beings; ahanī — duration of day; ubhe — both day and night; pakṣaḥ — fortnight; pañca-daśa — fifteen; ahāni — days; śuklaḥ — white; kṛṣṇaḥ — black; ca — also; mānada — measured.

 

TRANSLATION

 

It is calculated that there are four praharas, which are also called yāmas, in the day and four in the night of the human being. Similarly, fifteen days and nights are a fortnight, and there are two fortnights, white and black, in a month.

 

3.11.11

tayoḥ samuccayo māsaḥ

pitṝṇāḿ tad ahar-niśam

dvau tāv ṛtuḥ ṣaḍ ayanaḿ

dakṣiṇaḿ cottaraḿ divi

 

tayoḥ — of them; samuccayaḥ — aggregate; māsaḥ — month; pitṝṇām — of the Pitā planets; tat — that (month); ahaḥ-niśam — day and night; dvau — two; tau — months; ṛtuḥ — a season; ṣaṭ — six; ayanam — the movement of the sun in six months; dakṣiṇam — southern; ca — also; uttaram — northern; divi — in the heavens.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The aggregate of two fortnights is one month, and that period is one complete day and night for the Pitā planets. Two of such months comprise one season, and six months comprise one complete movement of the sun from south to north.

 

3.11.12

ayane cāhanī prāhur

vatsaro dvādaśa smṛtaḥ

saḿvatsara-śataḿ nṝṇāḿ

paramāyur nirūpitam

 

ayane — in the solar movement (of six months); ca — and; ahanī — a day of the demigods; prāhuḥ — it is said; vatsaraḥ — one calendar year; dvādaśa — twelve months; smṛtaḥ — is so called; saḿvatsara-śatam — one hundred years; nṝṇām — of human beings; parama-āyuḥ — duration of life; nirūpitam — is estimated.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Two solar movements make one day and night of the demigods, and that combination of day and night is one complete calendar year for the human being. The human being has a duration of life of one hundred years.

 

3.11.13

graharkṣa-tārā-cakra-sthaḥ

paramāṇv-ādinā jagat

saḿvatsarāvasānena

paryety animiṣo vibhuḥ

 

graha — influential planets like the moon; ṛkṣa — luminaries like Aśvinī; tārā — stars; cakra-sthaḥ — in the orbit; parama-aṇu-ādinā — along with the atoms; jagat — the entire universe; saḿvatsara-avasānena — by the end of one year; paryeti — completes its orbit; animiṣaḥ — the eternal time; vibhuḥ — the Almighty.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Influential stars, planets, luminaries and atoms all over the universe are rotating in their respective orbits under the direction of the Supreme, represented by eternal kāla.

 

3.11.14

saḿvatsaraḥ parivatsara

iḍā-vatsara eva ca

anuvatsaro vatsaraś ca

viduraivaḿ prabhāṣyate

 

saḿvatsaraḥ — orbit of the sun; parivatsaraḥ — circumambulation of Bṛhaspati; iḍā-vatsaraḥ — orbit of the stars; eva — as they are; ca — also; anuvatsaraḥ — orbit of the moon; vatsaraḥ — one calendar year; ca — also; vidura — O Vidura; evam — thus; prabhāṣyate — they are so told.

 

TRANSLATION

 

There are five different names for the orbits of the sun, moon, stars and luminaries in the firmament, and they each have their own saḿvatsara.

 

3.11.15

yaḥ sṛjya-śaktim urudhocchvasayan sva-śaktyā

puḿso 'bhramāya divi dhāvati bhūta-bhedaḥ

kālākhyayā guṇamayaḿ kratubhir vitanvaḿs

tasmai baliḿ harata vatsara-pañcakāya

 

yaḥ — one who; sṛjya — of creation; śaktim — the seeds; urudhā — in various ways; ucchvasayan — invigorating; sva-śaktyā — by his own energy; puḿsaḥ — of the living entity; abhramāya — to dissipate darkness; divi — during the daytime; dhāvati — moves; bhūta-bhedaḥ — distinct from all other material form; kāla-ākhyayā — by the name eternal time; guṇa-mayam — the material results; kratubhiḥ — by offerings; vitanvan — enlarging; tasmai — unto him; balim — ingredients of offerings; harata — one should offer; vatsara-pañcakāya — offerings every five years.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O Vidura, the sun enlivens all living entities with his unlimited heat and light. He diminishes the duration of life of all living entities in order to release them from their illusion of material attachment, and he enlarges the path of elevation to the heavenly kingdom. He thus moves in the firmament with great velocity, and therefore everyone should offer him respects once every five years with all ingredients of worship.

 

3.11.16

vidura uvāca

pitṛ-deva-manuṣyāṇām

āyuḥ param idaḿ smṛtam

pareṣāḿ gatim ācakṣva

ye syuḥ kalpād bahir vidaḥ

 

viduraḥ uvāca — Vidura said; pitṛ — the Pitā planets; deva — the heavenly planets; manuṣyāṇām — and that of the human beings; āyuḥ — duration of life; param — final; idam — in their own measurement; smṛtam — calculated; pareṣām — of the superior living entities; gatim — duration of life; ācakṣva — kindly calculate; ye — all those who; syuḥ — are; kalpāt — from the millennium; bahiḥ — outside; vidaḥ — greatly learned.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Vidura said: I now understand the life durations of the residents of the Pitā planets and heavenly planets as well as that of the human beings. Now kindly inform me of the durations of life of those greatly learned living entities who are beyond the range of a kalpa.

 

3.11.17

bhagavān veda kālasya

gatiḿ bhagavato nanu

viśvaḿ vicakṣate dhīrā

yoga-rāddhena cakṣuṣā

 

bhagavān — O spiritually powerful one; veda — you know; kālasya — of the eternal time; gatim — movements; bhagavataḥ — of the Supreme Personality of Godhead; nanu — as a matter of course; viśvam — the whole universe; vicakṣate — see; dhīrāḥ — those who are self-realized; yoga-rāddhena — by dint of mystic vision; cakṣuṣā — by the eyes.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O spiritually powerful one, you can understand the movements of eternal time, which is the controlling form of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Because you are a self-realized person, you can see everything by the power of mystic vision.

 

3.11.18

maitreya uvāca

kṛtaḿ tretā dvāparaḿ ca

kaliś ceti catur-yugam

divyair dvādaśabhir varṣaiḥ

sāvadhānaḿ nirūpitam

 

maitreyaḥ uvāca — Maitreya said; kṛtam — the age of Satya; tretā — the age of Tretā; dvāparam — the age of Dvāpara; ca — also; kaliḥ — the age of Kali; ca — and; iti — thus; catuḥ-yugam — four millenniums; divyaiḥ — of the demigods; dvādaśabhiḥ — twelve; varṣaiḥ — thousands of years; sa-avadhānam — approximately; nirūpitam — ascertained.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Maitreya said: O Vidura, the four millenniums are called the Satya, Tretā, Dvāpara and Kali yugas. The aggregate number of years of all of these combined is equal to twelve thousand years of the demigods.

 

3.11.19

catvāri trīṇi dve caikaḿ

kṛtādiṣu yathā-kramam

sańkhyātāni sahasrāṇi

dvi-guṇāni śatāni ca

 

catvāri — four; trīṇi — three; dve — two; ca — also; ekam — one; kṛta-ādiṣu — in the Satya-yuga; yathā-kramam — and subsequently others; sańkhyātāni — numbering; sahasrāṇi — thousands; dvi-guṇāni — twice; śatāni — hundreds; ca — also.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The duration of the Satya millennium equals 4,800 years of the years of the demigods; the duration of the Dvāpara millennium equals 2,400 years; and that of the Kali millennium is 1,200 years of the demigods.

 

3.11.20

sandhyā-sandhyāḿśayor antar

yaḥ kālaḥ śata-sańkhyayoḥ

tam evāhur yugaḿ taj-jñā

yatra dharmo vidhīyate

 

sandhyā — transitional period before; sandhyā-aḿśayoḥ — and transitional period after; antaḥ — within; yaḥ — that which; kālaḥ — duration of time; śata-sańkhyayoḥ — hundreds of years; tam eva — that period; āhuḥ — they call; yugam — millennium; tat-jñāḥ — the expert astronomers; yatra — wherein; dharmaḥ — religion; vidhīyate — is performed.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The transitional periods before and after every millennium, which are a few hundred years as aforementioned, are known as yuga-sandhyās, or the conjunctions of two millenniums, according to the expert astronomers. In those periods all kinds of religious activities are performed.

 

3.11.21

dharmaś catuṣ-pān manujān

kṛte samanuvartate

sa evānyeṣv adharmeṇa

vyeti pādena vardhatā

 

dharmaḥ — religion; catuḥ-pāt — complete four dimensions; manujān — mankind; kṛte — in the Satya-yuga; samanuvartate — properly maintained; saḥ — that; eva — certainly; anyeṣu — in other; adharmeṇa — by the influence of irreligion; vyeti — declined; pādena — by one part; vardhatā — gradually increasing proportionately.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O Vidura, in the Satya millennium mankind properly and completely maintained the principles of religion, but in other millenniums religion gradually decreased by one part as irreligion was proportionately admitted.

 

3.11.22

tri-lokyā yuga-sāhasraḿ

bahir ābrahmaṇo dinam

tāvaty eva niśā tāta

yan nimīlati viśva-sṛk

 

tri-lokyāḥ — of the three worlds; yuga — the four yugas; sāhasram — one thousand; bahiḥ — outside of; ābrahmaṇaḥ — up to Brahmaloka; dinam — is a day; tāvatī — a similar (period); eva — certainly; niśā — is night; tāta — O dear one; yat — because; nimīlati — goes to sleep; viśva-sṛk — Brahmā.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Outside of the three planetary systems [Svarga, Martya and Pātāla], the four yugas multiplied by one thousand comprise one day on the planet of Brahmā. A similar period comprises a night of Brahmā, in which the creator of the universe goes to sleep.

 

3.11.23

niśāvasāna ārabdho

loka-kalpo 'nuvartate

yāvad dinaḿ bhagavato

manūn bhuñjaḿś catur-daśa

 

niśā — night; avasāne — termination; ārabdhaḥ — beginning from; loka-kalpaḥ — further creation of the three worlds; anuvartate — follows; yāvat — until; dinam — the daytime; bhagavataḥ — of the lord (Brahmā); manūn — the Manus; bhuñjan — existing through; catuḥ-daśa — fourteen.

 

TRANSLATION

 

After the end of Brahmā's night, the creation of the three worlds begins again in the daytime of Brahmā, and they continue to exist through the life durations of fourteen consecutive Manus, or fathers of mankind.

 

3.11.24

svaḿ svaḿ kālaḿ manur bhuńkte

sādhikāḿ hy eka-saptatim

 

svam — own; svam — accordingly; kālam — duration of life; manuḥ — Manu; bhuńkte — enjoys; sa-adhikām — a little more than; hi — certainly; eka-saptatim — seventy-one.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Each and every Manu enjoys a life of a little more than seventy-one sets of four millenniums.

 

3.11.25

manvantareṣu manavas

tad-vaḿśyā ṛṣayaḥ surāḥ

bhavanti caiva yugapat

sureśāś cānu ye ca tān

 

manu-antareṣu — after the dissolution of each and every Manu; manavaḥ — other Manus; tat-vaḿśyāḥ — and their descendants; ṛṣayaḥ — the seven famous sages; surāḥ — devotees of the Lord; bhavanti — flourish; ca eva — also all of them; yugapat — simultaneously; sura-īśāḥ — demigods like Indra; ca — and; anu — followers; ye — all; ca — also; tān — them.

 

TRANSLATION

 

After the dissolution of each and every Manu, the next Manu comes in order, along with his descendants, who rule over the different planets; but the seven famous sages, and demigods like Indra and their followers, such as the Gandharvas, all appear simultaneously with Manu.

 

3.11.26

eṣa dainan-dinaḥ sargo

brāhmas trailokya-vartanaḥ

tiryań-nṛ-pitṛ-devānāḿ

sambhavo yatra karmabhiḥ

 

eṣaḥ — all these creations; dainam-dinaḥ — daily; sargaḥ — creation; brāhmaḥ — in terms of the days of Brahmā; trailokya-vartanaḥ — revolution of the three worlds; tiryak — animals lower than the human beings; nṛ — human beings; pitṛ — of the Pitā planets; devānām — of the demigods; sambhavaḥ — appearance; yatra — wherein; karmabhiḥ — in the cycle of fruitive activities.

 

TRANSLATION

 

In the creation, during Brahmā's day, the three planetary systems — Svarga, Martya and Pātāla — revolve, and the inhabitants, including the lower animals, human beings, demigods and Pitās, appear and disappear in terms of their fruitive activities.

 

3.11.27

manvantareṣu bhagavān

bibhrat sattvaḿ sva-mūrtibhiḥ

manv-ādibhir idaḿ viśvam

avaty udita-pauruṣaḥ

 

manu-antareṣu — in each change of Manu; bhagavān — the Personality of Godhead; bibhrat — manifesting; sattvam — His internal potency; sva-mūrtibhiḥ — by His different incarnations; manu-ādibhiḥ — as Manus; idam — this; viśvam — the universe; avati — maintains; udita — discovering; pauruṣaḥ — divine potencies.

 

TRANSLATION

 

In each and every change of Manu, the Supreme Personality of Godhead appears by manifesting His internal potency in different incarnations, as Manu and others. Thus He maintains the universe by discovered power.

 

3.11.28

tamo-mātrām upādāya

pratisaḿruddha-vikramaḥ

kālenānugatāśeṣa

āste tūṣṇīḿ dinātyaye

 

tamaḥ — the mode of ignorance, or the darkness of night; mātrām — an insignificant portion only; upādāya — accepting; pratisaḿruddha-vikramaḥ — suspending all power of manifestation; kālena — by means of the eternal kāla; anugata — merged in; aśeṣaḥ — innumerable living entities; āste — remains; tūṣṇīm — silent; dina-atyaye — at the end of the day.

 

TRANSLATION

 

At the end of the day, under the insignificant portion of the mode of darkness, the powerful manifestation of the universe merges in the darkness of night. By the influence of eternal time, the innumerable living entities remain merged in that dissolution, and everything is silent.

 

3.11.29

tam evānv api dhīyante

lokā bhūr-ādayas trayaḥ

niśāyām anuvṛttāyāḿ

nirmukta-śaśi-bhāskaram

 

tam — that; eva — certainly; anu — after; api dhīyante — are out of sight; lokāḥ — the planets; bhūḥ-ādayaḥ — the three worlds, Bhūḥ, Bhuvaḥ and Svaḥ; trayaḥ — three; niśāyām — in the night; anuvṛttāyām — ordinary; nirmukta — without glare; śaśi — the moon; bhāskaram — the sun.

 

TRANSLATION

 

When the night of Brahmā ensues, all the three worlds are out of sight, and the sun and the moon are without glare, just as in the due course of an ordinary night.

 

3.11.30

tri-lokyāḿ dahyamānāyāḿ

śaktyā sańkarṣaṇāgninā

yānty ūṣmaṇā maharlokāj

janaḿ bhṛgv-ādayo 'rditāḥ

 

tri-lokyām — when the spheres of the three worlds; dahyamānāyām — being set ablaze; śaktyā — by the potency; sańkarṣaṇa — from the mouth of Sańkarṣaṇa; agninā — by the fire; yānti — they go; ūṣmaṇā — heated by the warmth; mahaḥ-lokāt — from Maharloka; janam — to Janaloka; bhṛgu — the sage Bhṛgu; ādayaḥ — and others; arditāḥ — being so distressed.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The devastation takes place due to the fire emanating from the mouth of Sańkarṣaṇa, and thus great sages like Bhṛgu and other inhabitants of Maharloka transport themselves to Janaloka, being distressed by the warmth of the blazing fire which rages through the three worlds below.

 

3.11.31

tāvat tri-bhuvanaḿ sadyaḥ

kalpāntaidhita-sindhavaḥ

plāvayanty utkaṭāṭopa-

caṇḍa-vāteritormayaḥ

 

tāvat — then; tri-bhuvanam — all the three worlds; sadyaḥ — immediately after; kalpa-anta — in the beginning of the devastation; edhita — inflated; sindhavaḥ — all the oceans; plāvayanti — inundate; utkaṭa — violent; āṭopa — agitation; caṇḍa — hurricane; vāta — by winds; īrita — blown; ūrmayaḥ — waves.

 

TRANSLATION

 

At the beginning of the devastation all the seas overflow, and hurricane winds blow very violently. Thus the waves of the seas become ferocious, and in no time at all the three worlds are full of water.

 

3.11.32

antaḥ sa tasmin salila

āste 'nantāsano hariḥ

yoga-nidrā-nimīlākṣaḥ

stūyamāno janālayaiḥ

 

antaḥ — within; saḥ — that; tasmin — in that; salile — water; āste — there is; ananta — Ananta; āsanaḥ — on the seat of; hariḥ — the Lord; yoga — mystic; nidrā — sleep; nimīla-akṣaḥ — eyes closed; stūya-mānaḥ — being glorified; jana-ālayaiḥ — by the inhabitants of the Janaloka planets.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The Supreme Lord, the Personality of Godhead, lies down in the water on the seat of Ananta, with His eyes closed, and the inhabitants of the Janaloka planets offer their glorious prayers unto the Lord with folded hands.

 

 3.11.33

evaḿ-vidhair aho-rātraiḥ

kāla-gatyopalakṣitaiḥ

apakṣitam ivāsyāpi

paramāyur vayaḥ-śatam

 

evam — thus; vidhaiḥ — by the process of; ahaḥ — days; rātraiḥ — by nights; kāla-gatyā — advancement of time; upalakṣitaiḥ — by such symptoms; apakṣitam — declined; iva — just like; asya — his; api — although; parama-āyuḥ — duration of life; vayaḥ — years; śatam — one hundred.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Thus the process of the exhaustion of the duration of life exists for every one of the living beings, including Lord Brahmā. One's life endures for only one hundred years, in terms of the times in the different planets.

 

3.11.34

yad ardham āyuṣas tasya

parārdham abhidhīyate

pūrvaḥ parārdho 'pakrānto

hy aparo 'dya pravartate

 

yat — that which; ardham — half; āyuṣaḥ — of the duration of life; tasya — his; parārdham — a parārdha; abhidhīyate — is called; pūrvaḥ — the former; para-ardhaḥ — half of the duration of life; apakrāntaḥ — having passed; hi — certainly; aparaḥ — the latter; adya — in this millennium; pravartate — shall begin.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The one hundred years of Brahmā's life are divided into two parts, the first half and the second half. The first half of the duration of Brahmā's life is already over, and the second half is now current.

 

3.11.35

pūrvasyādau parārdhasya

brāhmo nāma mahān abhūt

kalpo yatrābhavad brahmā

śabda-brahmeti yaḿ viduḥ

 

pūrvasya — of the first half; ādau — in the beginning; para-ardhasya — of the superior half; brāhmaḥ — Brāhma-kalpa; nāma — of the name; mahān — very great; abhūt — was manifest; kalpaḥ — millennium; yatra — whereupon; abhavat — appeared; brahmā — Lord Brahmā; śabda-brahma iti — the sounds of the Vedas; yam — which; viduḥ — they know.

 

TRANSLATION

 

In the beginning of the first half of Brahmā's life, there was a millennium called Brāhma-kalpa, wherein Lord Brahmā appeared. The birth of the Vedas was simultaneous with Brahmā's birth.

 

3.11.36

tasyaiva cānte kalpo 'bhūd

yaḿ pādmam abhicakṣate

yad dharer nābhi-sarasa

āsīl loka-saroruham

 

tasya — of the Brāhma-kalpa; eva — certainly; ca — also; ante — at the end of; kalpaḥ — millennium; abhūt — came into existence; yam — which; pādmam — Pādma; abhicakṣate — is called; yat — in which; hareḥ — of the Personality of Godhead; nābhi — in the navel; sarasaḥ — from the reservoir of water; āsīt — there was; loka — of the universe; saroruham — lotus.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The millennium which followed the first Brāhma millennium is known as the Pādma-kalpa because in that millennium the universal lotus flower grew out of the navel reservoir of water of the Personality of Godhead, Hari.

 

3.11.37

ayaḿ tu kathitaḥ kalpo

dvitīyasyāpi bhārata

vārāha iti vikhyāto

yatrāsīc chūkaro hariḥ

 

ayam — this; tu — but; kathitaḥ — known as; kalpaḥ — the current millennium; dvitīyasya — of the second half; api — certainly; bhārata — O descendant of Bharata; vārāhaḥ — Vārāha; iti — thus; vikhyātaḥ — is celebrated; yatra — in which; āsīt — appeared; śūkaraḥ — hog shape; hariḥ — the Personality of Godhead.

 

TRANSLATION

 

O descendant of Bharata, the first millennium in the second half of the life of Brahmā is also known as the Vārāha millennium because the Personality of Godhead appeared in that millennium as the hog incarnation.

 

3.11.38

kālo 'yaḿ dvi-parārdhākhyo

nimeṣa upacaryate

avyākṛtasyānantasya

hy anāder jagad-ātmanaḥ

 

kālaḥ — eternal time; ayam — this (as measured by Brahmā's duration of life); dvi-parārdha-ākhyaḥ — measured by the two halves of Brahmā's life; nimeṣaḥ — less than a second; upacaryate — is so measured; avyākṛtasya — of one who is unchanged; anantasya — of the unlimited; hi — certainly; anādeḥ — of the beginningless; jagat-ātmanaḥ — of the soul of the universe.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The duration of the two parts of Brahmā's life, as above mentioned, is calculated to be equal to one nimeṣa [less than a second] for the Supreme Personality of Godhead, who is unchanging and unlimited and is the cause of all causes of the universe.

 

3.11.39

kālo 'yaḿ paramāṇv-ādir

dvi-parārdhānta īśvaraḥ

naiveśituḿ prabhur bhūmna

īśvaro dhāma-māninām

 

kālaḥ — the eternal time; ayam — this; parama-aṇu — atom; ādiḥ — beginning from; dvi-parārdha — two superdurations of time; antaḥ — to the end; īśvaraḥ — controller; na — never; eva — certainly; īśitum — to control; prabhuḥ — capable; bhūmnaḥ — of the Supreme; īśvaraḥ — controller; dhāma-māninām — of those who are body conscious.

 

TRANSLATION

 

Eternal time is certainly the controller of different dimensions, from that of the atom up to the superdivisions of the duration of Brahmā's life; but, nevertheless, it is controlled by the Supreme. Time can control only those who are body conscious, even up to the Satyaloka or the other higher planets of the universe.

 

3.11.40

vikāraiḥ sahito yuktair

viśeṣādibhir āvṛtaḥ

āṇḍakośo bahir ayaḿ

pañcāśat-koṭi-vistṛtaḥ

 

vikāraiḥ — by the transformation of the elements; sahitaḥ — along with; yuktaiḥ — being so amalgamated; viśeṣa — manifestations; ādibhiḥ — by them; āvṛtaḥ — covered; āṇḍa-kośaḥ — the universe; bahiḥ — outside; ayam — this; pañcāśat — fifty; koṭi — ten million; vistṛtaḥ — widespread.

 

TRANSLATION

 

This phenomenal material world is expanded to a diameter of four billion miles, as a combination of eight material elements transformed into sixteen further categories, within and without, as follows.

 

3.11.41

daśottarādhikair yatra

praviṣṭaḥ paramāṇuvat

lakṣyate 'ntar-gatāś cānye

koṭiśo hy aṇḍa-rāśayaḥ

 

daśa-uttara-adhikaiḥ — with ten times greater thickness; yatra — in which; praviṣṭaḥ — entered; parama-aṇu-vat — like atoms; lakṣyate — it (the mass of universes) appears; antaḥ-gatāḥ — come together; ca — and; anye — in the other; koṭiśaḥ — clustered; hi — for; aṇḍa-rāśayaḥ — huge combination of universes.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The layers or elements covering the universes are each ten times thicker than the one before, and all the universes clustered together appear like atoms in a huge combination.

 

3.11.42

tad āhur akṣaraḿ brahma

sarva-kāraṇa-kāraṇam

viṣṇor dhāma paraḿ sākṣāt

puruṣasya mahātmanaḥ

 

tat — that; āhuḥ — is said; akṣaram — infallible; brahma — the supreme; sarva-kāraṇa — all causes; kāraṇam — the supreme cause; viṣṇoḥ dhāma — the spiritual abode of Viṣṇu; param — the supreme; sākṣāt — without doubt; puruṣasya — of the puruṣa incarnation; mahātmanaḥ — of the Mahā-Viṣṇu.

 

TRANSLATION

 

The Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, is therefore said to be the original cause of all causes. Thus the spiritual abode of Viṣṇu is eternal without a doubt, and it is also the abode of Mahā-Viṣṇu, the origin of all manifestations.