Jain units of time

Jain units of time range from an infinitesimally small, indivisible measurement of time known as a samayā^[1] to innumerable lengths of time measured in sagaropama and palyopama years, including cycles of cosmic time (kalachakras) that repeat general events in Jain cosmology. Each cycle is divided into two eras of equal duration described as the avasarpini and the utsarpini. The former is a descending era in which virtue gradually decreases. The latter is an ascending era in which the reverse takes place.^[2]^[3] The present era is stated to be the former.^[4]

Units

Unit	Definition	Value in SI units
samaya	base unit	—
avalika	Innumerable samaya	≈ 171.66 μs
ghaṭi	8,388,608 avalika	≈ 1.44 ks (24 min)
muhūrta	16,777,216 avalika	≈ 2.88 ks (48 min)
ahorātram (sidereal day)	30 muhūrta	≈ 86.4 ks (24 h)
pakṣa (lunar fortnight)	15 days	≈ 1,296 ks
māsa (month)	30 ahorātram	≈ 2,592 ks (29.5 days)
ṛitu (season)	2 māsa	≈ 5,184 ks
(year)	6 ṛitus	≈ 31,104 ks (360 days)
yuga	5 years^[5]	≈ 155,520 ks
purvaanga		≈ 8.4 million years
purva	8.4 million purvaanga	≈ 70.56 trillion years
palyopama	Innumerable years	At least 10¹⁹⁴ years^{[note 1]}
sāgaropama	10 quadrillion palyopama	At least 10²¹⁰ years
utsarpiṇī (ascending half-cycle)	1 quadrillion sāgaropama	At least 10²²⁵ years
avasarpiṇī (descending half-cycle)	1 quadrillion sāgaropama	At least 10²²⁵ years
kalpakāla (time cycle)	2 quadrillion sāgaropama^[6]	At least 2×10²²⁵ years

Division of the time cycle

Current *avasarpiṇī*
Ara	Start (– End)	Length
suṣama-suṣamā	1 quadrillion sāgaropama years ago	400 trillion sāgaropama
suṣamā	600 trillion sāgaropama years ago	300 trillion sāgaropama
suṣama-duṣamā	300 trillion sāgaropama years ago	200 trillion sāgaropama
duṣama-suṣamā	100 trillion sāgaropama years ago	100 trillion sāgaropama minus 42,000 years
duṣama	525 BCE	21,000 years
duṣama-duṣama	20476 CE – 41476 CE	21,000 years

Note: In the utsarpiṇī, the six aras take place in reverse order.^[7]

Notes

^ Per Jain cosmology: Sirsapahelika, or 10¹⁹⁴, is the highest measurable number in Jainism. Higher than that is a palyopama (pit-measured years), explained by an analogy of a pit: a hollow pit of 8 x 8 x 8 miles tightly filled with hair particles of a seven-day-old newborn. [A single hair cut into eight pieces seven times results in 2,097,152 particles]. One particle is removed after every 100 years, the time taken to empty the whole pit = 1 palyopama. (1 palyopama = countless years.) Hence a palyopama is at least 10¹⁹⁴ years. A sāgaropama is 10 quadrillion palyopamas, or more than 10²¹⁰ years.

References

^ Jain, Vijay K. (2018). Ācārya Kundakunda's Pravacanasāra – Essence of the Doctrine आचार्य कुन्दकुन्द विरचित "प्रवचनसार". Vikalp Printers. p. 180. ISBN 978-81-932726-1-9.
^ Dundas 2002, p. 20.
^ Jaini, Padmanabh S. (1998) [1979], The Jaina Path of Purification, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-1578-5
^ Hiriyanna, M. (1993, reprint 2000). Outlines of Indian Philosophy, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-1099-6, pp.159–60
^ Cush, Denise; Robinson, Catherine A.; York, Michael, eds. (2008). Encyclopedia of Hinduism. London; New York: Routledge. pp. 1043–1044. ISBN 978-0-7007-1267-0. OCLC 62133001.
^ Samantabhadra 2016, p. 71.
^ von Glasenapp 1999, p. 272.

[6] Per Jain cosmology: Sirsapahelika, or 10¹⁹⁴, is the highest measurable number in Jainism. Higher than that is a palyopama (pit-measured years), explained by an analogy of a pit: a hollow pit of 8 x 8 x 8 miles tightly filled with hair particles of a seven-day-old newborn. [A single hair cut into eight pieces seven times results in 2,097,152 particles]. One particle is removed after every 100 years, the time taken to empty the whole pit = 1 palyopama. (1 palyopama = countless years.) Hence a palyopama is at least 10¹⁹⁴ years. A sāgaropama is 10 quadrillion palyopamas, or more than 10²¹⁰ years.

[1] Jain, Vijay K. (2018). Ācārya Kundakunda's Pravacanasāra – Essence of the Doctrine आचार्य कुन्दकुन्द विरचित "प्रवचनसार". Vikalp Printers. p. 180. ISBN 978-81-932726-1-9.

[FOOTNOTEDundas200220-2] Dundas 2002, p. 20.

[3] Jaini, Padmanabh S. (1998) [1979], The Jaina Path of Purification, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-1578-5

[4] Hiriyanna, M. (1993, reprint 2000). Outlines of Indian Philosophy, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, ISBN 81-208-1099-6, pp.159–60

[5] Cush, Denise; Robinson, Catherine A.; York, Michael, eds. (2008). Encyclopedia of Hinduism. London; New York: Routledge. pp. 1043–1044. ISBN 978-0-7007-1267-0. OCLC 62133001.

[FOOTNOTESamantabhadra201671-7] Samantabhadra 2016, p. 71.

[FOOTNOTEvon_Glasenapp1999272-8] von Glasenapp 1999, p. 272.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[note 1]

[6]

[7]

Units

Division of the time cycle

See also

Notes

References