ManvantaraManvantara or age of a Manu, the progenitor of humanity, is an astronomical period of time measurement. Manvantara is a Sanskrit word, a compound of manu and antara, manu-antara or manvantara, literally meaning the duration of a Manu, or his life span. Each Manvantara is created and ruled by a specific Manu, who in turn is created by Brahma, the Creator…
The concept of Srishti described in Mahabharata Srishti (Creation) In Vedic cosmology, the universe is cyclically created and destroyed. The Hindu timeline is considered by some to be the closest to modern scientific timelines. It suggests that the Big Bang is not the beginning of everything, but is just the…
Kalpa Kalpa (Sanskrit: कल्प kalpa) is a Sanskrit word meaning an aeon, or a relatively long period of time (by human calculation) in Vedic/Puranic cosmology. Generally speaking, a kalpa is the period of time between the creation and recreation of a world or universe. The definition of a kalpa equaling 4.32 billion years is found in the Puranas—specifically Vishnu Purana and Bhagavata…
Time (Kala) Vedic and Puranic texts describe units of Time (Kala) measurements, from Paramaṇu (about 17 microseconds) to Manvantara (311.04 trillion years). According to these texts, the creation and destruction of the universe is a cyclic process, which repeats itself forever. Each cycle starts with the birth and expansion (lifetime)…
Shukra Shukra, the Sanskrit for “clear, pure” or “brightness, clearness”, is the name of the son of Bhrigu, and preceptor of the Daityas, and the guru of the Asuras, identified with the planet Venus, one of the Navagrahas. He presides over Shukravar or Friday. He is of white complexion, middle-aged and of agreeable countenance. He is described variously as mounted on…
BaliBali, an asura, was the son of Devamba and Virochana. He grew up under the tutelage of his grandfather, Prahlada, who instilled in him a strong sense of righteousness and devotion. Bali would eventually succeed his grandfather as the king of the Asuras, and his reign over the realm was characterized by peace and…
Prahlada Prahlada is famed for his exclusive devotion (bhakti) to Vishnu, despite attempts in the story by his father, Hiranyakashipu, to turn him to the contrary. He is considered to be a great devotee, by followers of Vaishnava traditions and is of special importance to devotees of the avatār Narasimha (the Man-Lion). A philosophical treatise is accredited…
Ram-faced Daksha (right) propitiating Shiva in his Veerabhadra form DakshaDaksha is a Sanskrit word said to be a Prajapati (in-charge of creation) and one of the Brahma’s sons. The equivalent meaning in English is Competent.With his wife Prasuti, he is the father of fifty daughters, 27 of whom, representing the 27 Nakshatras, were married…
Sun God – One of the Adityas Adityas Āditya (Sanskrit: आदित्य), meaning “of Aditi or related to Aditi”, refers to the offsprings of Aditi. Adityas are solar class deities. In the Rigveda, the Ādityas are the seven celestial deities, sons of Āditi, headed by Varuna, followed by Mitra: They are: Varuna, Mitra, Aryaman, Bhaga, Anśa or Aṃśa, Dhātṛ or Dakṣa,…