Srimad Bhagavatam — Tritiya Skandha, Shloka 12

Kāla-vibhāga: The Divisions of Time from Atom to Brahmā, and the Lord Beyond Time

Devanagari script

अयने चाहनी प्राहुर्वत्सरो द्वादश स्मृत: । संवत्सरशतं नृणां परमायुर्निरूपितम् ॥ १२ ॥

Transliteration

ayane cāhanī prāhur vatsaro dvādaśa smṛtaḥ saṁvatsara-śataṁ nṝṇāṁ paramāyur nirūpitam

Translation

A day and night of the devas are said to be made of two ayanas; that combined day and night is, for human beings, one complete year (saṁvatsara). The highest span of human life is fixed as one hundred years.

Synonyms

• ayane: in the two solstices/half-years (ayanas)
• ayane: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ayana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी-विभक्ति (7th/सप्तमी), द्विवचन; locative dual

• ca: and
• ca: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (conjunction)

• ahanī: day and night (pair)
• ahanī: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ahanī/ahaḥ+niśā (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वन्द्व-समास (अहः+निशा); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), द्विवचन; nominative dual

• prāhuḥ: they have said/declare
• prāhuḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: pra+√ah (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन; parasmaipada

• vatsaraḥ: a year
• vatsaraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vatsara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; nominative singular

• dvādaśa: twelve
• dvādaśa: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: dvādaśa (प्रातिपदिक/संख्या)
• Form: संख्यावाचक-विशेषण; अव्ययवत्/अविकारी; (here) year qualified as ‘twelve (months)’

• smṛtaḥ: is considered/remembered
• smṛtaḥ: Kriyā (क्रिया/भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √smṛ + ta (धातु+कृत्)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: क्त (past passive participle); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; used predicatively

• saṁvatsara-śatam: a hundred years
• saṁvatsara-śatam: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: saṁvatsara+śata (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (saṁvatsarāṇāṁ śatam = hundred of years); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1st/2nd), एकवचन; here nominative singular

• nṝṇām: of humans
• nṝṇām: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/षष्ठी)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nṛ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी-विभक्ति (6th/षष्ठी), बहुवचन; genitive plural

• parama-āyuḥ: the maximum lifespan
• parama-āyuḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: parama+āyus (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (परमम् आयुः); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा-विभक्ति, एकवचन; nominative singular

• nirūpitam: has been determined/defined
• nirūpitam: Kriyā (क्रिया/भाव)
• Type: Verb
• Root: nir+√rūp + ita (धातु+कृत्)
• Form: कृत्-प्रत्यय: क्त (past passive participle); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; predicative passive

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the calculation of time (kāla)?

This verse states that two ayanas constitute a day and night for the devas, twelve months form one year, and the maximum human lifespan is described as one hundred years.

Why does Śukadeva Gosvāmī describe deva time and human lifespan to Parīkṣit Mahārāja?

In Canto 3, Chapter 11, Śukadeva explains the structure of time to show its vast, ordered nature and to help the listener cultivate detachment and urgency for spiritual realization.

Practical application of this teaching on time in modern life?

Remembering life’s limited span encourages disciplined sādhana, wiser priorities, and reduced attachment to temporary achievements.