Śuka’s Manifestation from the Araṇi (Āraṇeya-janma) — शुकजन्म (आरणेय-सम्भव)
एतस्यापि निशामाहुस्तृतीयमिह कुर्वतः । पञठ्चकल्पसहस््राणि तावदेवाहरुच्यते,इस तृतीय भौतिक सर्गकी सृष्टि करनेवाले अहंकारकी रात्रि पाँच हजार कल्पोंकी होती है। उसका दिन भी उतना ही बड़ा बताया जाता है
etasyāpi niśām āhus tṛtīyam iha kurvataḥ | pañca-kalpa-sahasrāṇi tāvad evāhur ucyate ||
Yājñavalkya berkata: “Tentang prinsip itu juga, mereka menyebut adanya suatu ‘malam’—milik tahap ketiga di sini, ketika ia menjalankan kerjanya. Malam itu dikatakan berlangsung lima ribu kalpa, dan siangnya juga dinyatakan sama ukurannya.”
याज़्ञवल्क्य उवाच
Cosmic processes operate in immense, balanced cycles of ‘day’ and ‘night’ (activity and quiescence). Recognizing this scale supports dharmic steadiness, humility, and detachment from transient gains and losses.
In the Śānti Parva’s instructional discourse, Yājñavalkya explains measures of cosmic time, stating that the ‘night’ associated with a third stage of creation lasts five thousand kalpas, and its ‘day’ is of equal duration.