Jain units of time range from an infinitesimally small, indivisible measurement of time known as a samayā to innumerable lengths of time measured in sagaropama and palyopama years, including cycles of cosmic time (kalachakras) that repeat general events in Jain cosmology. Each cycle is divided into two eras of equal duration described as the avasarpini and the utsarpini. The former is a descending era in which virtue gradually decreases. The latter is an ascending era in which the reverse takes place. The present era is stated to be the former.Hiriyanna, M. (1993, reprint 2000). Outlines of Indian Philosophy, Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass, , pp.159–60
Units Unit Definition Value in SI units samaya base unit avalika Innumerable samaya ≈ 171.66 μs ghaṭi 8,388,608 avalika ≈ 1.44 ks (24 min) muhūrta 16,777,216 avalika ≈ 2.88 ks (48 min) ahorātram (sidereal day) 30 muhūrta ≈ 86.4 ks (24 h) pakṣa (lunar fortnight) 15 days ≈ 1,296 ks māsa (month) 30 ahorātram ≈ 2,592 ks (29.5 days) ṛitu (season) 2 māsa ≈ 5,184 ks (year) 6 ṛitus ≈ 31,104 ks (360 days) yuga 5 years ≈ 155,520 ks purvaanga ≈ 8.4 million years purva 8.4 million purvaanga ≈ 70.56 trillion years palyopama Innumerable years At least 10194 years sāgaropama 10 quadrillion palyopama At least 10210 years utsarpiṇī (ascending half-cycle) 1 quadrillion sāgaropama At least 10225 years avasarpiṇī (descending half-cycle) kalachakra or kalpakāla (time cycle) 2 quadrillion sāgaropama At least 2×10225 years
Division of the time cycle
+ Current avasarpiṇī Ara Start (– End) Length suṣama-suṣamā 1 quadrillion sāgaropama years ago 400 trillion sāgaropama suṣamā 600 trillion sāgaropama years ago 300 trillion sāgaropama suṣama-duṣamā 300 trillion sāgaropama years ago 200 trillion sāgaropama duṣama-suṣamā 100 trillion sāgaropama years ago 100 trillion sāgaropama minus 42,000 years duṣama 525 BCE 21,000 years duṣama-duṣama 20476 CE – 41476 CE Note: In the utsarpiṇī, the six aras take place in reverse order.
See also Ajiva Hindu units of time Kāla Kalachakra
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