Shloka 15
कालनिर्णयः (युग-मन्वन्तर-कल्पप्रमाणम्) — Measures of Time and Cosmic Cycles
कृतं त्रेता द्वापरश् च कलिश् चैव चतुर्युगम् प्रोच्यते तत्सहस्रं च ब्रह्मणो दिवसं मुने
kṛtaṃ tretā dvāparaś ca kaliś caiva caturyugam procyate tatsahasraṃ ca brahmaṇo divasaṃ mune
Kṛta, Tretā, Dvāpara, and Kali—these four together are declared to be one caturyuga. And a thousand such caturyugas, O sage, constitute a single day of Brahmā.
Sage Parāśara (to Maitreya)
Speaker: Parasara
Topic: Definition of caturyuga and its relation to Brahmā’s day (kalpa day-period)
Teaching: Cosmological
Quality: authoritative
Creation Stage: Kalpa
Yuga: Satya/Treta/Dvapara/Kali
Cosmic Hierarchy: Lokas
Concept: A caturyuga comprises the four ages, and one thousand caturyugas constitute a single day of Brahmā, situating human history within immense cosmic cycles.
Vedantic Theme: Maya
Application: Practice humility and steadiness by remembering the scale of cosmic time; prioritize enduring virtues and bhakti over fleeting gains.
Vishishtadvaita: Cyclic manifestation within Brahmā’s day can be read as the Lord’s real līlā-governed unfolding of the universe, not mere illusion.
FAQs
This verse defines the basic unit of cosmic time as a caturyuga—Kṛta, Tretā, Dvāpara, and Kali—establishing the framework by which larger cycles (like Brahmā’s day) are measured.
Parāśara states that a single day of Brahmā is made of one thousand caturyugas, linking human-scale ages to vast cosmic timekeeping within the Purāṇic order.
By mapping time into orderly cycles, the Vishnu Purana implies a governed cosmos—time (kāla) operates within divine sovereignty, a backdrop for Vishnu’s sustaining power across yugas and cosmic days.