Shloka 13
कालनिर्णयः (युग-मन्वन्तर-कल्पप्रमाणम्) — Measures of Time and Cosmic Cycles
तत्प्रमाणैः शतैः संध्या पूर्वा तत्राभिधीयते संध्यांशकश् च तत्तुल्यो युगस्यानन्तरो हि सः
tatpramāṇaiḥ śataiḥ saṃdhyā pūrvā tatrābhidhīyate saṃdhyāṃśakaś ca tattulyo yugasyānantaro hi saḥ
By those same measures, the preceding interval is called the Sandhyā—the “dawn” that ushers in the age. And the Sandhyāṃśa, equal in measure, is the concluding “twilight,” for it follows the yuga immediately.
Sage Parāśara (teaching Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Definition and measure of yuga sandhyā (dawn) and sandhyāṃśa (twilight)
Teaching: Cosmological
Quality: revealing
Creation Stage: Kalpa
Concept: Each yuga is bracketed by transitional periods—sandhyā and sandhyāṃśa—equal in measure, marking orderly cosmic change rather than abrupt rupture.
Vedantic Theme: Dharma
Application: Treat life-transitions (beginnings/endings) as sacred ‘sandhyā’ moments suited for increased japa, reflection, and ethical recommitment.
Vishishtadvaita: The Lord’s governance includes liminal ‘junctions’ (sandhyā) where dharma is re-stabilized—implying real divine administration of time.
FAQs
They are the transitional ‘junction’ periods that frame each yuga—Sandhyā as the opening dawn and Sandhyāṃśa as the closing twilight—showing that time moves through ordered thresholds rather than abrupt breaks.
He states that a yuga is bordered by two equal intervals: an initial Sandhyā and a concluding Sandhyāṃśa, each measured according to the same previously given numerical standard.
Even in technical chronology, the Purana presents a cosmos governed by lawful order—time itself is structured—reflecting Vishnu’s sovereign regulation of creation and dissolution through precise cosmic rhythms.