Copyright (c) The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness
| Canto 3: The Status Quo | Chapter 11: Calculation of Time, from the Atom |
Bhaktivedanta VedaBase: Srimad Bhagavatam 3.11.14
anuvatsaro vatsaras ca
viduraivam prabhashyate
SYNONYMS
samvatsarah -- orbit of the sun; parivatsarah -- circumambulation of Brihaspati; ida-vatsarah -- orbit of the stars; eva -- as they are; ca -- also; anuvatsarah -- orbit of the moon; vatsarah -- one calendar year; ca -- also; vidura -- O Vidura; evam -- thus; prabhashyate -- 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 samvatsara.
PURPORT
The subject matters of physics, chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, time and space dealt with in the above verses of Srimad-Bhagavatam are certainly very interesting to students of the particular subject, but as far as we are concerned, we cannot explain them very thoroughly in terms of technical knowledge. The subject is summarized by the statement that above all the different branches of knowledge is the supreme control of kala, the plenary representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nothing exists without Him, and therefore everything, however wonderful it may appear to our meager knowledge, is but the work of the magical wand of the Supreme Lord. As far as time is concerned, we beg to subjoin herewith a table of timings in terms of the modern clock.
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 kashtha - 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
Two pakshas comprise one month, and twelve months comprise one calendar year, or one full orbit of the sun. A human being is expected to live up to one hundred years. That is the way of the controlling measure of eternal time.
The Brahma-samhita (5.52) affirms this control in this way:
yac-cakshur esha savita sakala-grahanam
raja samasta-sura-murtir asesha-tejah
yasyajnaya bhramati sambhrita-kala-cakro
govindam adi-purusham tam aham bhajami
"I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, under whose control even the sun, which is considered to be the eye of the Lord, rotates within the fixed orbit of eternal time. The sun is the king of all planetary systems and has unlimited potency in heat and light."
Copyright (c) The Bhaktivedanta Book Trust International, Inc.
His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness