The Measure of Brahma's Lifespan

Verse 1 (markandeya.46.1)

क्रौष्टुकिरुवाच भगवंस्त्वण्डसम्भूतिर्यथावत् कथिता मम । ब्रह्माण्डे ब्रह्मणो जन्म तथा चोक्तं महात्मनः ॥ 46.1 ॥

krauṣṭukiruvāca bhagavaṁstvaṇḍasambhūtiryathāvat kathitā mama brahmāṇḍe brahmaṇo janma tathā coktaṁ mahātmanaḥ

Kraushtuki said: O lord, you have duly told me of the origin of the cosmic egg, and have likewise told of the birth, within that egg, of the great-souled Brahma.

Verse 2 (markandeya.46.2)

एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतुं त्वत्तो भृगुकुलोद्भव । यदान सृष्टिर्भूतानामस्ति किन्नु न चास्ति वा । काले वै प्रलयस्यान्ते सर्वस्मिन्नुपसंहृते ॥ 46.2 ॥

etadicchāmyahaṁ śrotuṁ tvatto bhṛgukulodbhava yadāna sṛṣṭirbhūtānāmasti kinnu na cāsti vā kāle vai pralayasyānte sarvasminnupasaṁhṛte

This I wish to hear from you, O one born in the line of Bhrigu: at the time of the end of dissolution, when all things are drawn back — is there then a creation of beings, or is there not?

Verse 3 (markandeya.46.3)

मार्कण्डेय उवाच यदा तु प्रकृतौ याति लयं विश्वमिदं जगत् । तदोच्यते प्राकृतोऽयं विद्वद्भिः प्रतिसञ्चरः ॥ 46.3 ॥

mārkaṇḍeya uvāca yadā tu prakṛtau yāti layaṁ viśvamidaṁ jagat tadocyate prākṛto'yaṁ vidvadbhiḥ pratisañcaraḥ

Markandeya said: When this entire universe dissolves back into Prakriti, that is what the wise call the 'natural' dissolution.

Verse 4 (markandeya.46.4)

स्वात्मन्यवस्थितेव्यक्ते विकारे प्रतिसंहृते । प्रकृतिः पुरुषश्चैव साधर्म्येणावतिष्ठतः ॥ 46.4 ॥

svātmanyavasthitevyakte vikāre pratisaṁhṛte prakṛtiḥ puruṣaścaiva sādharmyeṇāvatiṣṭhataḥ

When the manifest world is withdrawn and rests within its own self, Prakriti and Purusha both abide together in a state of equal likeness.

Verse 5 (markandeya.46.5)

तदा तमश्च सत्त्वञ्च समत्वेन व्यवस्थितौ । अनुद्रिक्तावनूनौ च तत्प्रोतौ च परस्परम् ॥ 46.5 ॥

tadā tamaśca sattvañca samatvena vyavasthitau anudriktāvanūnau ca tatprotau ca parasparam

Then tamas and sattva stand in perfect balance, neither exceeding nor falling short of the other, remaining interwoven with each other.

Verse 6 (markandeya.46.6)

तिलेषु वा यथा तैलं घृतं पयसि वा स्थितम् । तथा तमसि सत्त्वे च रजोऽप्यनुसृतं स्थितम् ॥ 46.6 ॥

tileṣu vā yathā tailaṁ ghṛtaṁ payasi vā sthitam tathā tamasi sattve ca rajo'pyanusṛtaṁ sthitam

Just as oil lies latent in sesame seeds, or ghee in milk, so too does rajas remain present, pervading both tamas and sattva.

Verse 7 (markandeya.46.7)

उत्पत्तिर्ब्रह्मणो यावदायुषो द्विपरार्धिकम् । तावद्दिनं परेशस्य तत्समा संयमे निशा ॥ 46.7 ॥

utpattirbrahmaṇo yāvadāyuṣo dviparārdhikam tāvaddinaṁ pareśasya tatsamā saṁyame niśā

From Brahma's birth until two parardhas of his life are complete — that whole span is called the Supreme Lord's 'day'; an equal span spent in dissolution is his 'night'.

Verse 8 (markandeya.46.8)

अहर्मुखे प्रबुद्धस्तु जगदादिरनादिमान् । सर्वहेतुरचिन्त्यात्मा परः कोऽप्यपरक्रियः ॥ 46.8 ॥

aharmukhe prabuddhastu jagadādiranādimān sarvaheturacintyātmā paraḥ ko'pyaparakriyaḥ

At the dawn of that day he awakens — the beginningless source of the universe, the cause of all things, of inconceivable nature, supreme, dependent on no other agency.

Verse 9 (markandeya.46.9)

प्रकृतिं पुरुषञ्चैव प्राविश्याशु जगत्पतिः । क्षोभयामास योगेन परेण परमेश्वरः ॥ 46.9 ॥

prakṛtiṁ puruṣañcaiva prāviśyāśu jagatpatiḥ kṣobhayāmāsa yogena pareṇa parameśvaraḥ

The Lord of the universe, swiftly entering into both Prakriti and Purusha, agitated them by his supreme power of yoga.

Verse 10 (markandeya.46.10)

यथा मदो नवस्त्रीणां यथा वा माधवानिलः । अनुप्रविष्टः क्षोभाय तथासौ योगमूर्तिमान् ॥ 46.10 ॥

yathā mado navastrīṇāṁ yathā vā mādhavānilaḥ anupraviṣṭaḥ kṣobhāya tathāsau yogamūrtimān

As passion stirs a young woman, or as the spring breeze stirs the trees into bloom, so did that Lord, embodied in yoga, enter within them to set them astir.

Verse 11 (markandeya.46.11)

प्रधाने क्षोभ्यमाने तु स देवो ब्रह्मसंज्ञितः । समुत्पन्नोऽण्डकोषस्थो यथा ते कथितं मया ॥ 46.11 ॥

pradhāne kṣobhyamāne tu sa devo brahmasaṁjñitaḥ samutpanno'ṇḍakoṣastho yathā te kathitaṁ mayā

When Pradhana, primal matter, was thus stirred, that god known as Brahma arose within the shell of the cosmic egg, exactly as I have already told you.

Verse 12 (markandeya.46.12)

स एव क्षोभकः पूर्वं स क्षोभ्यः प्रकृतेः पतिः । स सङ्कोचविकाशाभ्यां प्रधानत्वेऽपि च स्थितः ॥ 46.12 ॥

sa eva kṣobhakaḥ pūrvaṁ sa kṣobhyaḥ prakṛteḥ patiḥ sa saṅkocavikāśābhyāṁ pradhānatve'pi ca sthitaḥ

He alone is, at first, the agitator, and he too is the one agitated — the lord of Prakriti; through contraction and expansion he remains present even as Pradhana itself.

Verse 13 (markandeya.46.13)

अत्पन्नः स जगद्योनिरगुणोऽपि रजोगुणम् । भुञ्जन् प्रवर्तते सर्गे ब्रह्मत्वं समुपाश्रितः ॥ 46.13 ॥

atpannaḥ sa jagadyoniraguṇo'pi rajoguṇam bhuñjan pravartate sarge brahmatvaṁ samupāśritaḥ

Thus arisen, he — the womb of the universe, though beyond the gunas — takes on the quality of rajas and, assuming the state of Brahma, engages in the work of creation.

Verse 14 (markandeya.46.14)

ब्रह्मत्वे स प्रजाः सृष्ट्वा ततः सत्त्वातिरेकवान् । विष्णुत्वमेत्य धर्मेण कुरुते परिपालनम् ॥ 46.14 ॥

brahmatve sa prajāḥ sṛṣṭvā tataḥ sattvātirekavān viṣṇutvametya dharmeṇa kurute paripālanam

Having created beings as Brahma, he then, filled with an excess of sattva, attains the state of Vishnu and, through righteousness, sustains and protects all creation.

Verse 15 (markandeya.46.15)

ततस्तमोगुणोद्रिक्तो रुद्रत्वे चाखिलं जगत् । उपसंहृत्य वै शेते त्रैलोक्यं त्रिगुणोऽगुणः ॥ 46.15 ॥

tatastamoguṇodrikto rudratve cākhilaṁ jagat upasaṁhṛtya vai śete trailokyaṁ triguṇo'guṇaḥ

Then, overcome by tamas, in the form of Rudra he withdraws the entire universe and lies down — though, appearing possessed of the three gunas, he is in truth beyond them.

Verse 16 (markandeya.46.16)

यथा प्राग्व्यापकः क्षेत्री पालको लावकस्तथा । यथा स संज्ञामायाति ब्रह्मविष्ण्वीशकारिणीम् ॥ 46.16 ॥

yathā prāgvyāpakaḥ kṣetrī pālako lāvakastathā yathā sa saṁjñāmāyāti brahmaviṣṇvīśakāriṇīm

As he was first the sower who pervades the field, so does he become its protector, and in the end its reaper; thus he comes to bear the names Brahma, Vishnu, and Isha according to his function.

Verse 17 (markandeya.46.17)

ब्रह्मत्वे सृजते लोकान् रुद्रत्वे संहरत्यपि । विष्णुत्वे चाप्युदासीनस्तिस्त्रोऽवस्थाः स्वयम्भुवः ॥ 46.17 ॥

brahmatve sṛjate lokān rudratve saṁharatyapi viṣṇutve cāpyudāsīnastistro'vasthāḥ svayambhuvaḥ

As Brahma he creates the worlds, as Rudra he also destroys them, and as Vishnu he remains detached in equanimity — these are the three states of the Self-born.

Verse 18 (markandeya.46.18)

रजो ब्रह्मा तमो रुद्रो विष्णुः सत्त्वं जगत्पतिः । एत एव त्रयो देवा एत एव त्रयो गुणाः ॥ 46.18 ॥

rajo brahmā tamo rudro viṣṇuḥ sattvaṁ jagatpatiḥ eta eva trayo devā eta eva trayo guṇāḥ

Rajas is Brahma, tamas is Rudra, and sattva is the Lord of the universe, Vishnu; these very three are the three gods, and these very three are the three gunas.

Verse 19 (markandeya.46.19)

अन्योन्यमिथुना ह्येते अन्योन्याश्रयिणस्तथा । क्षणं वियोगो नह्येषां न त्यजन्ति परस्परम् ॥ 46.19 ॥

anyonyamithunā hyete anyonyāśrayiṇastathā kṣaṇaṁ viyogo nahyeṣāṁ na tyajanti parasparam

These three are ever paired with one another and depend upon each other; not for a single instant are they parted, nor do they ever forsake one another.

Verse 20 (markandeya.46.20)

एवं ब्रह्मा जगत्पूर्वो देवदेवश्चतुर्मुखः । रजोगुणं समाश्रित्य स्त्रष्ट्टत्वे स व्यवस्थितः ॥ 46.20 ॥

evaṁ brahmā jagatpūrvo devadevaścaturmukhaḥ rajoguṇaṁ samāśritya straṣṭṭatve sa vyavasthitaḥ

Thus Brahma, the first of the world, the god of gods, four-faced, resting upon the quality of rajas, remains established in the office of creator.

Verse 21 (markandeya.46.21)

हिरण्यगर्भो देवादिरनादिरुपचारतः । भूपद्मकर्णिकासंस्थो ब्रह्माग्रे समजायत ॥ 46.21 ॥

hiraṇyagarbho devādiranādirupacārataḥ bhūpadmakarṇikāsaṁstho brahmāgre samajāyata

He is called Hiranyagarbha, the first of the gods, though in truth beginningless — this is only a manner of speaking; seated upon the pericarp of the earth-lotus, Brahma came into being at the very start.

Verse 22 (markandeya.46.22)

तस्य वर्षशतं त्वेकं परमायुर्महात्मनः । ब्रह्म्येणैव हि मानेन तस्य संख्यां निबोध मे ॥ 46.22 ॥

tasya varṣaśataṁ tvekaṁ paramāyurmahātmanaḥ brahmyeṇaiva hi mānena tasya saṁkhyāṁ nibodha me

By Brahma's own reckoning, the full lifespan of that great being is a single hundred years; now hear from me the calculation of that measure.

Verse 23 (markandeya.46.23)

निमेषैर्दशभिः काष्ठा तथा पञ्चभिरुच्यते । कलास्त्रिंशच्च वै काष्ठा मुहूर्तं त्रिंशत्ताः कलाः ॥ 46.23 ॥

nimeṣairdaśabhiḥ kāṣṭhā tathā pañcabhirucyate kalāstriṁśacca vai kāṣṭhā muhūrtaṁ triṁśattāḥ kalāḥ

Fifteen winks — ten, and then five more — are said to make one kashtha; thirty kashthas make one kala, and thirty kalas make one muhurta.

Verse 24 (markandeya.46.24)

अहोरात्रं मुहूर्तानां नृणां त्रिंशत्तु वै स्मृतम् । अहोरात्रैश्च त्रिंशद्भिः पक्षौ द्वौ मास उच्यते ॥ 46.24 ॥

ahorātraṁ muhūrtānāṁ nṛṇāṁ triṁśattu vai smṛtam ahorātraiśca triṁśadbhiḥ pakṣau dvau māsa ucyate

Thirty muhurtas, it is remembered, make one day-and-night for human beings; and thirty day-nights, forming two fortnights, are called a month.

Verse 25 (markandeya.46.25)

तैः षड्भिरयनं वर्षं द्वेऽयने दक्षिणोत्तरे । तद्देवानामहोरात्रं दिनं तत्रोत्तरायणम् ॥ 46.25 ॥

taiḥ ṣaḍbhirayanaṁ varṣaṁ dve'yane dakṣiṇottare taddevānāmahorātraṁ dinaṁ tatrottarāyaṇam

Six of those months make one ayana, and a year consists of two ayanas, southern and northern; that year is a single day-night of the gods, in which the northern course is their day.

Verse 26 (markandeya.46.26)

दिव्यैर्वर्षसहस्रैस्तु कृतत्रेतादिसंज्ञितम् । चतुर्युगं द्वादशभिस्तद्विभागं शृणुष्व मे ॥ 46.26 ॥

divyairvarṣasahasraistu kṛtatretādisaṁjñitam caturyugaṁ dvādaśabhistadvibhāgaṁ śṛṇuṣva me

Now hear from me the division, in divine years, of the four ages known as Krita, Treta and so on, together totaling twelve thousand years.

Verse 27 (markandeya.46.27)

चत्वारि तु सहस्राणि वर्षाणां कृतमुच्यते । शतानि सन्ध्या चत्वारि सन्ध्यांशश्च तथाविधः ॥ 46.27 ॥

catvāri tu sahasrāṇi varṣāṇāṁ kṛtamucyate śatāni sandhyā catvāri sandhyāṁśaśca tathāvidhaḥ

The Krita age, it is said, is four thousand years; its dawn is four hundred years, and its twilight is likewise four hundred.

Verse 28 (markandeya.46.28)

त्रेता त्रीणि सहस्राणि दिव्याब्दानां शतत्रयम् । तत्सन्ध्या तत्समा चैव सन्ध्यांशश्च तथाविधः ॥ 46.28 ॥

tretā trīṇi sahasrāṇi divyābdānāṁ śatatrayam tatsandhyā tatsamā caiva sandhyāṁśaśca tathāvidhaḥ

The Treta age is three thousand divine years, its dawn three hundred years, and its twilight the same.

Verse 29 (markandeya.46.29)

द्वापरं द्वे सहस्रे तु वर्षाणां द्वे शते तथा । तस्य सन्ध्या समाख्याता द्वे शताब्दे तदंशकः ॥ 46.29 ॥

dvāparaṁ dve sahasre tu varṣāṇāṁ dve śate tathā tasya sandhyā samākhyātā dve śatābde tadaṁśakaḥ

Dvapara is two thousand years, and its dawn is declared to be two hundred years, its twilight the same.

Verse 30 (markandeya.46.30)

कलिः सहस्रं दिव्यानामब्दानां द्विजसत्तम । सन्ध्या सन्ध्यांशकश्चैव शतकौ समुदाहृतौ ॥ 46.30 ॥

kaliḥ sahasraṁ divyānāmabdānāṁ dvijasattama sandhyā sandhyāṁśakaścaiva śatakau samudāhṛtau

O best of the twice-born, the Kali age is one thousand divine years, and its dawn and twilight are each declared to be a hundred years.

Verse 31 (markandeya.46.31)

एषा द्वाधशसाहस्त्री युगाख्या कविभिः कृता । एतत् सहस्रगुणितमो ब्राह्म्यमुदाहृतम् ॥ 46.31 ॥

eṣā dvādhaśasāhastrī yugākhyā kavibhiḥ kṛtā etat sahasraguṇitamo brāhmyamudāhṛtam

This span of twelve thousand years is what the sages have called a 'yuga'; multiplied a thousand times, this becomes what is declared to be a single day of Brahma.

Verse 32 (markandeya.46.32)

ब्रह्मणो दिवसे ब्रह्मन् मनवः स्युश्चतुर्दश । भवन्ति भागशस्तेषां सहस्रं तद्विभज्यते ॥ 46.32 ॥

brahmaṇo divase brahman manavaḥ syuścaturdaśa bhavanti bhāgaśasteṣāṁ sahasraṁ tadvibhajyate

In a single day of Brahma, O brahmin, there are fourteen Manus; that thousand-yuga span is divided among them in due portions.

Verse 33 (markandeya.46.33)

देवाः सप्तर्षयः सेन्द्रा मनुस्तत्सूनवो नृपाः । मनुना सह सृज्यन्ते संह्रियन्ते च पूर्ववत् ॥ 46.33 ॥

devāḥ saptarṣayaḥ sendrā manustatsūnavo nṛpāḥ manunā saha sṛjyante saṁhriyante ca pūrvavat

The gods, the Seven Sages together with Indra, the Manu, and his sons the kings — all are created together with each Manu, and are withdrawn again as before.

Verse 34 (markandeya.46.34)

चतुर्युगानां संख्याता साधिका ह्ये कसप्ततिः । मन्वन्तरं तस्य संख्यां मानुषाब्दैर्निबोध मे ॥ 46.34 ॥

caturyugānāṁ saṁkhyātā sādhikā hye kasaptatiḥ manvantaraṁ tasya saṁkhyāṁ mānuṣābdairnibodha me

One manvantara is reckoned as seventy-one caturyugas plus a little more; now learn from me its measure in human years.

Verse 35 (markandeya.46.35)

त्रिंशत्कोट्यस्तु संपूर्णाः संख्याताः संख्यया द्विज । सत्पषष्टिस्तथान्यानि नियुतानि च संख्यया ॥ 46.35 ॥

triṁśatkoṭyastu saṁpūrṇāḥ saṁkhyātāḥ saṁkhyayā dvija satpaṣaṣṭistathānyāni niyutāni ca saṁkhyayā

O twice-born, thirty crores of years in full are counted, together with sixty-seven further hundred-thousands added to that reckoning.

Verse 36 (markandeya.46.36)

विंशतिश्च सहस्राणि कालोऽयं साधिकं विना । एतन्मन्वन्तरं प्रोक्तं दिव्यैर्वर्षैर्निबोध मे ॥ 46.36 ॥

viṁśatiśca sahasrāṇi kālo'yaṁ sādhikaṁ vinā etanmanvantaraṁ proktaṁ divyairvarṣairnibodha me

And twenty thousand more besides — this, without its small additional fraction, is that same span. This very manvantara has already been declared to you above in divine years — understand it so.

Verse 37 (markandeya.46.37)

अष्टौ वर्षसहस्राणि दिव्यया संख्यया युतम् । द्विपञ्चाशत्तथान्यानि सहस्राण्यधिकानि तु ॥ 46.37 ॥

aṣṭau varṣasahasrāṇi divyayā saṁkhyayā yutam dvipañcāśattathānyāni sahasrāṇyadhikāni tu

Eight thousand years, by divine reckoning, together with fifty-two thousand more added to them, —

Verse 38 (markandeya.46.38)

चतुर्दशगुणो ह्येष कालो ब्रह्म्यमहः स्मृतम् । तस्यान्ते प्रलयः प्रोक्तो ब्रह्मन् नैमित्तिको बुधैः ॥ 46.38 ॥

caturdaśaguṇo hyeṣa kālo brahmyamahaḥ smṛtam tasyānte pralayaḥ prokto brahman naimittiko budhaiḥ

— this span, multiplied fourteen-fold, is called Brahma's day; and at its end, O brahmin, the wise declare that the 'incidental' dissolution occurs.

Verse 39 (markandeya.46.39)

भूर्लोकोऽथ भुवर्लोकः स्वर्लोकश्च विनाशिनः । तथा विनाशमायान्ति महर्लोकश्च तिष्ठति ॥ 46.39 ॥

bhūrloko'tha bhuvarlokaḥ svarlokaśca vināśinaḥ tathā vināśamāyānti maharlokaśca tiṣṭhati

The worlds of Bhuh, Bhuvah, and Svah then perish, thus meeting destruction, while the world of Mahah still remains.

Verse 40 (markandeya.46.40)

तद्वासिनोऽपि तापेन जनलोकं प्रयान्ति वै । एकार्णवे च त्रैलोक्ये ब्रह्मा स्वपिति वै निशि ॥ 46.40 ॥

tadvāsino'pi tāpena janalokaṁ prayānti vai ekārṇave ca trailokye brahmā svapiti vai niśi

Even that world's inhabitants, driven out by the heat, go on to Janaloka; and when the three worlds become a single ocean, Brahma sleeps through that night.

Verse 41 (markandeya.46.41)

तत्प्रमाणैव सा रात्रिस्तदन्ते सृज्यते पुनः । एवन्तु ब्रह्मणो वर्षमेकं वर्षशतन्तु तत् ॥ 46.41 ॥

tatpramāṇaiva sā rātristadante sṛjyate punaḥ evantu brahmaṇo varṣamekaṁ varṣaśatantu tat

That night is of the very same measure as the day; at its end creation is fashioned anew. In this way such day-nights make one year of Brahma, and a hundred such years make his full life.

Verse 42 (markandeya.46.42)

शतं हि तस्य वर्षाणां परमित्यभिधीयते । पञ्चाशद्भिस्तथा वर्षैः परार्धमिति कीर्त्यते ॥ 46.42 ॥

śataṁ hi tasya varṣāṇāṁ paramityabhidhīyate pañcāśadbhistathā varṣaiḥ parārdhamiti kīrtyate

A hundred of his years are called his 'Para', his full life-measure; and fifty of those years are proclaimed as one 'Parardha'.

Verse 43 (markandeya.46.43)

एवमस्य परार्धन्तु व्यतीतं द्विजसत्तम । यस्यान्तेऽभून्महाकल्पः पाद्म इत्यभिविश्रुतः ॥ 46.43 ॥

evamasya parārdhantu vyatītaṁ dvijasattama yasyānte'bhūnmahākalpaḥ pādma ityabhiviśrutaḥ

In this way, O best of the twice-born, one Parardha of his life has already passed, at whose end occurred the great kalpa renowned as 'Padma'.

Verse 44 (markandeya.46.44)

द्वितीयस्य परार्धस्य वर्तमानस्य वै द्विज । वाराह इति कल्पोऽयं प्रथमः परिकल्पितः ॥ 46.44 ॥

dvitīyasya parārdhasya vartamānasya vai dvija vārāha iti kalpo'yaṁ prathamaḥ parikalpitaḥ

Now, O brahmin, in the second Parardha which is presently underway, this kalpa — reckoned as its first — is called the Varaha kalpa.