Kāla-vibhāga: The Divisions of Time from Atom to Brahmā, and the Lord Beyond Time
त्रिलोक्या युगसाहस्रं बहिराब्रह्मणो दिनम् । तावत्येव निशा तात यन्निमीलति विश्वसृक् ॥ २२ ॥
tri-lokyā yuga-sāhasraṁ bahir ābrahmaṇo dinam tāvaty eva niśā tāta yan nimīlati viśva-sṛk
在三界(天界、世间、地下界)之外的梵天界,四个瑜伽的周期乘以一千,构成梵天的一日。同样的时量构成梵天之夜;其时宇宙的创造者合目而眠。
When Brahmā goes to sleep in his nighttime, the three planetary systems below Brahmaloka are all submerged in the water of devastation. In his sleeping condition, Brahmā dreams about the Garbhodakaśāyī Viṣṇu and takes instruction from the Lord for the rehabilitation of the devastated area of space.
This verse states that one day of Brahmā equals one thousand cycles of the four yugas (catur-yuga), and his night is of the same duration, occurring when Brahmā sleeps.
In this section (Canto 3, Chapter 11), Shukadeva describes cosmic time to help Parikshit understand the vast scale of creation and dissolution under the Supreme Lord’s arrangement.
Reflecting on the immense scale of cosmic time helps cultivate humility, detachment from temporary pursuits, and urgency to engage in bhakti—devotional service—while human life lasts.