Hindu Cosmology – understanding the age of cosmos

The Hindu religion is the only one of the world’s great faiths dedicated to the idea that the Cosmos itself undergoes an immense, indeed an infinite, number of deaths and rebirths. It is the only religion in which the time scales correspond, to those of modern scientific cosmology. Its cycles run from our ordinary day and night to a day and night of Brahma, 8.64 billion years long. Longer than the age of the Earth or the Sun and about half the time since the Big Bang. And there are much longer time scales still. 

— Carl Sagan (1934-1996) famous astrophysicist.

In Hinduism, the concept of time and the age of the universe is quite complex and is often interpreted in various ways across different texts and philosophical schools. The most common framework for understanding time in Hindu cosmology is the concept of “kalpas” and “yugas.”

According to Hindu cosmology, the universe goes through cycles of creation and destruction, with each cycle lasting for billions of years. These cycles are measured in units called “kalpas.” Each kalpa is divided into four yugas or ages: Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, Dvapara Yuga, and Kali Yuga. The durations of these yugas are believed to vary in length, with the Kali Yuga being the shortest and the Satya Yuga being the longest.

The current age, known as the Kali Yuga, is believed by many to last for 432,000 years. However, there are also interpretations that suggest the duration of each yuga is much longer, with some texts describing the length of a single cycle (or kalpa) as lasting for millions or even billions of years.

While Hindu cosmology offers symbolic and mythological explanations for the age of the universe, it’s important to note that these concepts differ literal scientific terms. Hinduism does provide a detailed scientific account of the age of the universe as modern cosmology does. where it differs from modern science is it offers a framework for understanding the cyclical nature of time and the cosmos from a scientific, philosophical and spiritual perspective.

In Hindu cosmology, the measurement of time is quite intricate and is often described using vast units of time known as “yugas,” “kalpas,” and “mahayugas.” These units form the basis of understanding the age of the universe according to Hindu scriptures like the Puranas and the Srimad Bhagavatam. Here’s a breakdown of the mathematical framework commonly associated with time in Hindu cosmology:

1. Mahayuga: A Mahayuga, also known as a Chaturyuga, is the smallest unit of time in Hindu cosmology. It consists of four yugas, each with a different duration. The four yugas and their respective durations are:
   • Satya Yuga: 1,728,000 yearsTreta Yuga: 1,296,000 yearsDvapara Yuga: 864,000 yearsKali Yuga: 432,000 years
   The total duration of one Mahayuga is the sum of these four yugas, which equals 4,320,000 years or 4.32 Million Years.
2. Manvantara: A Manvantara is a larger unit of time consisting of 71 Mahayugas. The duration of a Manvantara is given as 306,720,000 or 306 Million years.
3. Kalpa: A Kalpa is an even larger unit of time. It is said to be the duration of one day in the life of Brahma, the creator deity in Hinduism. A Kalpa consists of 14 Manvantaras and is therefore equal to 4,320,000,000 Years or 4.3 Billion years (same as the current estimated age of the earth)
4. Day of Brahma: A Day of Brahma, also known as a “Brahma Kalpa,” comprises 1,000 Kalpas, totaling 4,320,000,000,000 years.
5. Life of Brahma: The lifespan of Brahma, known as “Brahma’s lifespan” or “Brahma’s age,” is said to be 100 years, each consisting of 360 Days of Brahma. Therefore, the total lifespan of Brahma is 311,040,000,000,000 years.

Using these units, Hindu cosmology provides a framework for understanding the cyclical nature of time and the universe. It’s important to note that these numbers are often interpreted symbolically rather than literally, and different texts and traditions within Hinduism may have variations in their calculations. Additionally, these time scales are subject to philosophical interpretations rather than empirical scientific measurement.

Mapping the calculations from Hindu cosmology to the scientific age of the universe involves converting the units of time used in Hindu cosmology into years and then comparing them to the current scientific estimate of the age of the universe. As of my last update in January 2022, the scientific consensus for the age of the universe is around 13.8 billion years. Let’s see how the Hindu cosmological units compare:

1. Mahayuga: One Mahayuga consists of 4,320,000 years. To convert this to scientific years, we can simply multiply by the number of Mahayugas in the current age of the universe:Scientific age / Mahayuga duration = 13.8 billion years / 4,320,000 years = approximately 3.19 million Mahayugas
2. Manvantara: One Manvantara consists of 306,720,000 years. To convert this to scientific years, we can use the same approach as above:Scientific age / Manvantara duration = 13.8 billion years / 306,720,000 years = approximately 45,000 Manvantaras
3. Kalpa: One Kalpa consists of 4,320,000,000 years. Similar calculation:Scientific age / Kalpa duration = 13.8 billion years / 4,320,000,000 years = approximately 3.19 Kalpas
4. Day of Brahma: One Day of Brahma consists of 4,320,000,000,000 years. Again, the same calculation:Scientific age / Day of Brahma duration = 13.8 billion years / 4,320,000,000,000 years = approximately 3,191 Days of Brahma
5. Life of Brahma: One Life of Brahma consists of 311,040,000,000,000 years. Finally, the calculation:Scientific age / Life of Brahma duration = 13.8 billion years / 311,040,000,000,000 years = approximately 0.044% of Brahma’s lifespan

Conclusion

Hindu cosmology is the only one that talks about the age scale of universe where its estimates are closer to the current scientific estimations. The estimated age of the universe from scientific evidence (~13.8 billion years) is also something the the recent James webb space telescope is challenging as its finding galaxies which are older than that.

The cosmos is very vast, complex and has yet many secrets that we are yet to unravel. hopefully modern tools along with the wisdom from the cosmic science of the past can help us unravel the mystery of the cosmos.