Shloka 38
Kāla-vibhāga: The Divisions of Time from Atom to Brahmā, and the Lord Beyond Time
कालोऽयं द्विपरार्धाख्यो निमेष उपचर्यते । अव्याकृतस्यानन्तस्य ह्यनादेर्जगदात्मन: ॥ ३८ ॥
kālo ’yaṁ dvi-parārdhākhyo nimeṣa upacaryate avyākṛtasyānantasya hy anāder jagad-ātmanaḥ
এই ‘দ্বি-পরার্ধ’ নামে যে কাল, তা অব্যক্ত, অনন্ত, অনাদি এবং জগতের আত্মা পরম পুরুষের কাছে এক নিমেষের সমান গণ্য হয়।
The great sage Maitreya has given a considerable description of the time of different dimensions, beginning from the atom up to the duration of the life of Brahmā. Now he attempts to give some idea of the time of the unlimited Personality of Godhead. He just gives a hint of His unlimited time by the standard of the life of Brahmā. The entire duration of the life of Brahmā is calculated to be less than a second of the Lord’s time, and it is explained in the Brahma-saṁhitā (5.48) as follows:
FAQs
This verse states that time can be spoken of as a vast unit called dvi-parārdha, yet it is also described through small units like nimeṣa—showing a complete scale of time used to explain cosmic manifestation.
In this section, he links time to the unmanifest source of material nature to show that all transformations and cosmic cycles proceed under the Lord’s governance, who is infinite and beginningless.
Remembering the vastness and inevitability of time fosters humility and urgency in sādhana, encouraging one to seek shelter of the eternal Lord, the jagad-ātmā, rather than temporary achievements.