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
कृत, त्रेता, द्वापर आणि कलि—ही चारही मिळून ‘चतुर्युग’ म्हणतात. आणि हे मुने, अशा चतुर्युगांचे एक सहस्र म्हणजे ब्रह्मदेवाचा एक दिवस होय.
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.