Time of Yugas

According to Bhagvat Puran time frame of Cosmology of Universe and Yug’s is as follows:-

Life of Brahma-----100 years.

Each of Brahma day-----4,320,000,000 years

Each Brahma day has---1000 cycles and each cycle has 71 divisions.

Each division has 4 Yugas and each Yuga has 14 MANVANTRAS. Present Manu is Vaivasvat. We are in 57^th year of Brahma. Each Yug has four sub divisions which are as follows:-

1. Satya Yug duration-------4800x360=1,720,000 years.

2. Treta Yug duration-------3600x360=1,296,000 years.

3. Dwarpar Yug duration---2400x360=864,000 years.

4. Kali Yug duration---------1200x360=432,000 years

We are presently in Kali yug. Jains, Greeks Zoroastrians believed in cycle of 12000 years only. Even in laws of Manu and Mahabharata 12000 year cycle is mentioned. Yukteswar in his book “Holy Science”, 1894 maintains cycle is of 12000 years only. He states in his book 12000 years in ascending and 12000 years in descending phase of cycle making a complete yug of 24000 years which is very close to period Sun takes to  cover all Zodiac signs backwards[25765 years]. He maintains multiplying yuga period by 360[1 Deva=360 earth year] is not needed. He further states this was done to inflate time zone. By this reckoning we are in ascending phase of Kali yug which will end on 2025AD, Then there will be a transition period of 300 years, after which a new yug will start[Ascending phase of Dwarpara yug].

Saptrishi calendar which is of 2700 year [100 years/ Nakhatra] duration starts afresh with new yuga.

Presently Saptrishi calendar is 5088[3076BC] which is very close to kali yug date of3676BC, date of Lord Krishna’s ascent from earth. Saptrishi calendar was used by Hindus in Maurya and Gupta period.

There is intense debate amongst scholars regarding time period of 4 yuga’s as mentioned in Bhagvat. Bhagvat Puran time frame of yuga’s could at cosmic level, at lower level[ Earth] it could be just 24000 year complete cycle as mentioned by Yuktaswar and many others. Even Aryabatha agrees with 3000 year/cycle, a total of 12000 years.

 

Maya and Holographic Universe

"I am not located in space but space is located in me---Lord Krishna in Holy Gita"

Is this world real or unreal, depends on from what point of reference the question is asked. From the point of view of carpet seller, carpet is real. But from point of view of chemist, there is no material called carpet.

Maya is neither real nor unreal. It is not real because it ceases to exist when Brahman is realized.Maya is cause of Creation, Brahman is the nominal cause for Creation.It is also substantial cause and undifferentiated cause for Creation. Veil caused by Maya is of two types—one covering truth and other is projection [appearing to be true]. Creator is both intelligent and material cause of this Universe. He cannot be outside UNIVERSE, because then He will have to create outside Universe. He cannot be inside Universe as it will be limited by creation. So He and creation cannot be separated. If creation is infinite, so must be Creator. Vedanta says consciousness is Brahman. Objects in world are made of electrons, protons, neutrons assembled in different ways. Essentially we come to a limiting case where observations of the material content depend on observer, a conscious entity. The implication is---that investigation of fundamental blocks of Universe is futile unless one takes in to consideration the role of CONSCIOUSNESS.

Now let us examine what science/ Quantum physics says about this issue:-

It is senses which make our external world. Brain does not encounter original matter but receives its electric signals. Brain converts these waves in to particles which form images and projects reality out to perceive. We then watch this colorful world inside our dark brain. Our body too is an image formed by our brain. Human brain creates reality out of electric waves it receives from external world. It translates these waves in to a holographic physical reality to be seen/perceived by us. Brain is like movie projector and this Universe a holographic projection around earth.

Electrons which are building blocks of what we call reality are not solid particles at all but exist as waves. Nature of electron changes when we look at it or try to measure it. It changes from wave to particle in a specific location in space and time.—which is what we see a reality. It also means world which we do not see/observe is a flowing Quantum Soup. It freezes when we look at it and turns it in to reality.

This universe is three dimensional projection of two dimensional reality behind it. This Universe is a holographic representation around this earth. We are part of this hologram, not looking at hologram. Quantum physics states Consciousness is playing a role in this Universe

CONSCIOUSNESS-------FIELD-----------BRAIN--------REALITY [a 3Dmovie we perceive]

It is Consciousness which chooses specific wave frequencies from field which go to our Brain. Brain converts these frequencies in space/ time to particles and out pops out holographic reality which we perceive. We have free will to react but cannot create.

From the above one can find close similarities between scientific views and Vedantic views of this beautiful world we see

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Krishna---Myth or History

Ancient Indian history is full of confusion. There were people [Indologists] who doubted India’s past. They believed that India was inhabited by Nomads, called it a land of snake charmers, and fixed arbitrarily Indian history around 500BC-600BC. With finds of Harapa and Mohenjodaro in early twentieth century, these dates needed to be re-fixed by them. A theory of Aryan invasion from central Asia was invented to fit into scheme of things to come. Two civilizations had flourished in India before 600BC. One civilization now called Indus Valley Civilization [IVC] and other Vedic civilization. Indus civilization is believed to have been there from 3300BC—1300BC.This civilization matured by 1900BC and suddenly collapsed by 1300BC.It was postulated that Aryans entered India from central Asia in 1500BC. They conquered locals and formed a mighty civilization in 100 years and fought Mahabharata war in 1400BC.This civilization was labeled Vedic civilization and it finished in 600BC. It is interesting to note that Aryans who were nomads, came from outside, destroyed a well settled people and formed a civilization in just 100 years. This is unbelievable. This theory of invasion is highly disputed now .Rather Aryans were indigenous, who developed a mighty civilization------Vedic civilization. This civilization matured over a period of a few thousand years, not a few hundred years.

Are Mahabharata and Ramayana myths or historical realities? If we do a serious study of Bhagvat Puran and other related literature, one can make a reasonable guess of time of events. In Bhagvat many events described are linked with position of planets. On studying Astronomy, Genecology, Inscriptions, Archeological finds and continued traditions coupled with satellite imagery and carbon dating one can surmise dates of events mentioned with confidence. Drying of Saraswati river has already been confirmed by satellite imagery and local excavations. Submerged Dwarka found in Gujarat has been dated 1500BC [Rao, marine archeologist]. Historian B.B.Lal has given 5700BC---1400BC as time period for Lord Krishna. He also asserted that texts available were not writing of contemporary events.

Various other dates given are:-

Mahabharata war---3711BC ,Kali Yug---3676BC.  This is based on old Saptarishi calendar and yug cycles.

Mahabharata war-----2449BC by Kalahana, Varahmira

Mahabharata war---1400BC Indologists, date highly disputed now?

Professor Achar of Memphis University after studying planetary positions as mentioned in Bhagvat mentions date of 3067BC for Mahabharata war.

Kali yug dated 17/18^th Feb 3012BC by Aryabatha is disputed by Brahmgupt telling Arybatha erred in calculating time in consonance with planetary position mentioned in Bhagvat. He agrees with dates mentioned in Bhagvat.

There are writers who have even stated that between Parikshit and Nanda dynasty there elapsed 1050 years. Coins of Lord Krishna and Balrama have been found in Kabul, date 300BC, giving weightage to their historical presence. Sanderson Beck in his book “Literature of India” says Ramayana and Mahabharata could have occurred around 12000BC—10000BC. Pilny and Arrian, greek historians even identified 154 kings from Lord Rama to Chandergupt [321BC].

From above one can easily state that Lord Rama and Lord Krishna are historical figures and not mythological characters. Dates may go up or down but reality is  that Lord Krishna has been a historical figure. Many of events associated with Him can be just stories.