Time, undefined and boggling since the beginning of....Time.
Time is paradoxical at times. You know what it is and yet, explanation? You can't give it. Not a complete, perfect one. The closest defination of time given is,
SB-3.11.7
"Fifteen laghus make one nädikä, which is also called a danda. Two dandas make one muhürta, and six or seven dandas make one fourth of a day or night, according to human calculation."
SB-3.11.8
"The measuring pot for one nädikä, or danda, 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 mäña and measuring four fingers long. When the pot is placed on water, the time before the water overflows in the pot is called one danda."
SB-3.11.9
"It is calculated that there are four praharas, which are also called yämas, 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."
SB-3.11.10
"The aggregate of two fortnights is one month, and that period is one complete day and night for the Pitä planets. Two of such months comprise one season, and six months comprise one complete movement of the sun from south to north."
SB-3.11.11
Here, in 6 months, sun travels from South to North. In another 6 months, it completes one full revolution.
A tabular representation has been given.
One truti - 8/13,500 second
One vedha - 8/135 second
One lava - 8/45 second
One nimesha - 8/15 second
One kshana - 8/5 second
One käashtha - 8 seconds
One laghu - 2 minutes
One danda - 30 minutes
One prahara - 3 hours
One day - 12 hours
One night - 12 hours
One paksha - 15 days
Time is paradoxical at times. You know what it is and yet, explanation? You can't give it. Not a complete, perfect one. The closest defination of time given is,
"the indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole."
of course this is an imperfect defination as a whole. but we feel time passing by. We all feel time passing by, we have an intuitive knowledge about it, yet it remains an abstraction, a riddle.
"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."
."of course this is an imperfect defination as a whole. but we feel time passing by. We all feel time passing by, we have an intuitive knowledge about it, yet it remains an abstraction, a riddle.
We physicists work with time all the time. But don't ask me what it is. It's just too difficult to think aboutRichard Feyman, nobel laurette.
The Vedic reflection
Among the subduers, I am Time
Lord Krishna,BG-10.30
Vedas, the eternal wisdom, has a complete different approach to Time. Unlike modern cosmological theories, where time started at the Big bang, when infinite mattercame out of nothingness, blasted off into infinite space. And would end at the big Crunch, when all that infinity would stop expanding and would collapse back into nothingness.
Vedic concept of Time is that of a cyclic process. The Kaalchakra, Wheel of Time.
calculation of Time, unlike ussually potrayed, is an extremely accurate one. starting from the oscillations of atoms.
In the Bhagvatam, 3.11, a conversation between Vidura and matreya, there is disclosed how the calculation of time with the help of atoms is done.
"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."
SB-3.11.1
This description is the same as the modern description of time. Further, it is elaborated
"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."
SB-3.11. 4
This is the same as the measuring of time in an atomic clock. The time taken for some certain oscillations of a caesium atom.
"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."
SB-3.11.5
"The time duration needed for the integration of three hexatoms is called a truti, and one hundred trutis make one vedha. Three vedhas make one lava."
SB-3.11.6
"The duration of time of three lavas is equal to one nimesha, the combination of three nimeshas makes one kshana, five kshana combined together make one kaashtha, and fifteen kaashtha make one laghu
This description is the same as the modern description of time. Further, it is elaborated
"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."
SB-3.11. 4
This is the same as the measuring of time in an atomic clock. The time taken for some certain oscillations of a caesium atom.
"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."
SB-3.11.5
"The time duration needed for the integration of three hexatoms is called a truti, and one hundred trutis make one vedha. Three vedhas make one lava."
SB-3.11.6
"The duration of time of three lavas is equal to one nimesha, the combination of three nimeshas makes one kshana, five kshana combined together make one kaashtha, and fifteen kaashtha make one laghu
SB-3.11.7
"Fifteen laghus make one nädikä, which is also called a danda. Two dandas make one muhürta, and six or seven dandas make one fourth of a day or night, according to human calculation."
SB-3.11.8
"The measuring pot for one nädikä, or danda, 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 mäña and measuring four fingers long. When the pot is placed on water, the time before the water overflows in the pot is called one danda."
SB-3.11.9
"It is calculated that there are four praharas, which are also called yämas, 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."
SB-3.11.10
"The aggregate of two fortnights is one month, and that period is one complete day and night for the Pitä planets. Two of such months comprise one season, and six months comprise one complete movement of the sun from south to north."
SB-3.11.11
Here, in 6 months, sun travels from South to North. In another 6 months, it completes one full revolution.
A tabular representation has been given.
One truti - 8/13,500 second
One vedha - 8/135 second
One lava - 8/45 second
One nimesha - 8/15 second
One kshana - 8/5 second
One käashtha - 8 seconds
One laghu - 2 minutes
One danda - 30 minutes
One prahara - 3 hours
One day - 12 hours
One night - 12 hours
One paksha - 15 days
The concept of water clock, used in India as well as in other countries earlier, which was far more consistent than a shadow clock.
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