The Measure of the Yugas and the Reckoning of Time

Verse 1 (skanda.6.273.1)

सूत उवाच एतेषां तु सहस्रेण भवेद्ग्राह्यं दिनं द्विजाः चतुर्दश सहस्राक्षा जायंते तत्र वासरे

sūta uvāca eteṣāṁ tu sahasreṇa bhavedgrāhyaṁ dinaṁ dvijāḥ caturdaśa sahasrākṣā jāyaṁte tatra vāsare

Suta said: O brahmins, by a thousand of these four-age cycles a day of Brahma is to be reckoned; in that day, fourteen Indras come into being.

Verse 2 (skanda.6.273.2)

सप्तमस्तु सहस्राक्षः सांप्रतं वर्ततेऽत्र यः एकसप्ततिसंवर्तचतुर्दशदिने विधेः

saptamastu sahasrākṣaḥ sāṁprataṁ vartate'tra yaḥ ekasaptatisaṁvartacaturdaśadine vidheḥ

The seventh Indra, who now presently reigns, rules within the fourteen-day ordinance of Brahma, each portion comprising seventy-one yuga-cycles...

Verse 3 (skanda.6.273.3)

युगानां कुरुते राज्यं मनवश्च तथा परे स्वायंभुवप्रभृतयो यथा शक्रास्तथा स्थिताः

yugānāṁ kurute rājyaṁ manavaśca tathā pare svāyaṁbhuvaprabhṛtayo yathā śakrāstathā sthitāḥ

...he rules over the ages, and other Manus likewise — beginning with Svayambhuva — just as the Indras stand in succession.

Verse 4 (skanda.6.273.4)

जायन्तो नाम शक्रोऽयं सांप्रतं वर्तते तु यः वैवस्वतो मनुश्चैव अष्टाविंशत्प्रमाणकः

jāyanto nāma śakro'yaṁ sāṁprataṁ vartate tu yaḥ vaivasvato manuścaiva aṣṭāviṁśatpramāṇakaḥ

This Indra who now presently reigns is named Jayanta; and the Manu is Vaivasvata; we are now in the twenty-eighth...

Verse 5 (skanda.6.273.5)

चतुर्युगस्य संजातो गतेस्मिञ्छेषमात्रके भविष्यति बलिः शक्रो वासुदेवप्रसादतः

caturyugasya saṁjāto gatesmiñcheṣamātrake bhaviṣyati baliḥ śakro vāsudevaprasādataḥ

...of the four-age cycle, with only the remainder now passing. Thereafter Bali shall become Indra, by the grace of Vasudeva.

Verse 6 (skanda.6.273.6)

तेन तस्य प्रतिज्ञातं राज्यं चैवाष्टमे मनौ

tena tasya pratijñātaṁ rājyaṁ caivāṣṭame manau

By him, sovereignty was promised to Bali in the eighth Manvantara.

Verse 7 (skanda.6.273.7)

एवं सर्वे सुराश्चान्ये त्रयस्त्रिंशत्प्रमाणतः कोटयः प्रभविष्यंति यथा चैव तथा पुरा

evaṁ sarve surāścānye trayastriṁśatpramāṇataḥ koṭayaḥ prabhaviṣyaṁti yathā caiva tathā purā

Thus all the other gods too, numbering thirty-three crores, shall come into being just as they did before.

Verse 8 (skanda.6.273.8)

योऽयं ब्रह्मा स्थितो विप्राः सांप्रतं सृष्टिकारकः तस्यानेन प्रमाणेन जातं संवत्सराष्टकम्

yo'yaṁ brahmā sthito viprāḥ sāṁprataṁ sṛṣṭikārakaḥ tasyānena pramāṇena jātaṁ saṁvatsarāṣṭakam

O brahmins, this Brahma who now presides as creator — by this measure, eight years of his life have already passed...

Verse 9 (skanda.6.273.9)

षण्मासाश्च दिनार्धं च प्रथमं शुक्लपूर्वकम् सौरसावनचंद्रार्क्षैर्मानैरेभिश्चतुर्विधैः

ṣaṇmāsāśca dinārdhaṁ ca prathamaṁ śuklapūrvakam saurasāvanacaṁdrārkṣairmānairebhiścaturvidhaiḥ

...together with six months and half a day, in this his first year, beginning with the bright fortnight — reckoned by these four measures: solar, civil, lunar, and sidereal.

Verse 10 (skanda.6.273.10)

कलौ निर्याति सर्वेषां भूतानां क्षितिमण्डले पंचषष्ट्याऽधिकैश्चैव दिनानां च शतैस्त्रिभिः भवेत्संवत्सरं सौरं पञ्चोनैस्तैश्च सावनम्

kalau niryāti sarveṣāṁ bhūtānāṁ kṣitimaṇḍale paṁcaṣaṣṭyā'dhikaiścaiva dinānāṁ ca śataistribhiḥ bhavetsaṁvatsaraṁ sauraṁ pañconaistaiśca sāvanam

In the Kali age, for all beings upon the circle of the earth, the solar year comes to three hundred and sixty-five days; and the civil year is five less than that.

Verse 11 (skanda.6.273.11)

चांद्र एकादशोनस्तु त्रिंशद्धीन उडूद्भवः शीतातपौ तथा वृष्टिः सौरमानेन जायते

cāṁdra ekādaśonastu triṁśaddhīna uḍūdbhavaḥ śītātapau tathā vṛṣṭiḥ sauramānena jāyate

The lunar year falls short by eleven days from the solar; the sidereal year falls short by thirty. Cold, heat, and rain occur according to the solar measure.

Verse 12 (skanda.6.273.12)

वृक्षाणां फलनिष्पत्तिः सस्यानां च तथा परा अग्निष्टोमादयो यज्ञा वर्तंते ये धरातले

vṛkṣāṇāṁ phalaniṣpattiḥ sasyānāṁ ca tathā parā agniṣṭomādayo yajñā vartaṁte ye dharātale

The ripening of fruits on trees, and likewise the maturing of crops, and the sacrifices such as the Agnishtoma performed upon the earth, are also reckoned by the solar year.

Verse 13 (skanda.6.273.13)

उत्साहाश्च विवाहाश्च सावनेन भवंति च कुसीदाद्याश्च ये केचिद्व्यवहाराश्च वृत्तिजाः

utsāhāśca vivāhāśca sāvanena bhavaṁti ca kusīdādyāśca ye kecidvyavahārāśca vṛttijāḥ

Festivities and marriages take place according to the civil year, as do lending and other transactions arising from livelihood.

Verse 14 (skanda.6.273.14)

अधिमासप्रयुक्तेन ते स्युश्चांद्रेण निर्मिताः नाक्षत्रेण तु मानेन सिध्यंते ग्रहचारिकाः

adhimāsaprayuktena te syuścāṁdreṇa nirmitāḥ nākṣatreṇa tu mānena sidhyaṁte grahacārikāḥ

Those requiring an intercalary month are determined by the lunar reckoning; and by the sidereal measure, the movements of the planets are calculated.

Verse 15 (skanda.6.273.15)

नान्यत्किंचिद्धरापृष्ठ एतन्मानचतुष्टयात् एतेन तु प्रमाणेन देवदैत्याश्च मानवाः

nānyatkiṁciddharāpṛṣṭha etanmānacatuṣṭayāt etena tu pramāṇena devadaityāśca mānavāḥ

There is nothing else upon the face of the earth beyond these four measures; and by this same reckoning, gods, demons, and men...

Verse 16 (skanda.6.273.16)

वर्त्तंते ब्राह्मणश्रेष्ठाः श्रुतिरेषा पुरातनी एतद्युगप्रमाणं तु यः पठेद्भक्तिसंयुतः

varttaṁte brāhmaṇaśreṣṭhāḥ śrutireṣā purātanī etadyugapramāṇaṁ tu yaḥ paṭhedbhaktisaṁyutaḥ

...O best of brahmins, all conduct their affairs — this is an ancient teaching. Whoever recites this measure of the yugas with devotion...

Verse 17 (skanda.6.273.17)

एतेषामेव लिंगानां सप्तानां ब्राह्मणोत्तमाः नापमृत्यु भयं तस्य कथंचित्संभविष्यति

eteṣāmeva liṁgānāṁ saptānāṁ brāhmaṇottamāḥ nāpamṛtyu bhayaṁ tasya kathaṁcitsaṁbhaviṣyati

...O foremost of brahmins, before these very seven lingas — for him, fear of untimely death shall never arise, in any way.