The Sanatana Dharma timescale operates on scales the modern mind struggles to grasp. One Kalpa (one "day" of Brahma) = 4.32 billion human years. Brahma's 100-year lifespan = 311 trillion human years. After that, Prakritika Pralaya dissolves everything, and a new Brahma emerges from Maha-Vishnu. Sources: Vishnu Purana (Book 6), Srimad Bhagavatam (Skandha 3), Manu Smriti (Chapter 1).
Every Vedic ritual begins with a sankalpa locating the offering in time. This is our current cosmic coordinate:
Year of Brahma
51st year
Kalpa
Shveta Varaha Kalpa
Manvantara
7th
Manu
Vaivasvata Manu
Chatur-yuga
28th of 71
Yuga
Kali Yuga
Year in Kali Yuga
5,127 / 432,000
Next major event
Kalki avatar at end of this Kali Yuga - 426,873 human years from now.
One full cycle = 4.32 million human years. The ratio is 4:3:2:1 - the Krita (Satya) yuga is longest, Kali yuga shortest. 71 chatur-yugas make one Manvantara; 14 Manvantaras make one Kalpa.
1.73 million years
Dharma: 4 legs of dharma intact (truth, austerity, purity, compassion).
Lifespan: 100,000 years
Practice: Dhyana (meditation). No yajnas needed - direct contemplation suffices.
The Golden Age. Universal righteousness. No castes, no kings - everyone is a yogi. Brahma the supreme deity.
1.30 million years
Dharma: 3 legs of dharma intact. Compassion begins to fade.
Lifespan: 10,000 years
Practice: Yajna (Vedic fire-sacrifice). Agnihotra becomes the supreme rite.
Rama's avatar in this yuga. Kings emerge to maintain order. The Vedas remain in pristine oral form.
864,000 years
Dharma: 2 legs of dharma intact. Purity and compassion declining.
Lifespan: 1,000 years
Practice: Archana (temple worship + image-puja). The 16 upacharas develop.
Krishna's avatar in this yuga. Mahabharata war. Vyasa compiles the Vedas + writes the Mahabharata + Bhagavata.
432,000 years
Dharma: 1 leg of dharma left (truth alone, and even that frail).
Lifespan: 100 years (declining)
Practice: Nama-sankirtana (chanting the divine name). The only sufficient practice.
The Iron Age. Started 3102 BCE (after Krishna's departure). We are 5,127 years into a 432,000-year yuga. Kalki avatar at the end.
Each Kalpa is divided into 14 Manvantaras. Each Manvantara has its own Manu (progenitor), Indra, Saptarshis, and major avatars. We are in the 7th Manvantara - Vaivasvata. The next will be Savarni, ruled by Bali.
| № | Manu | Indra | Avatar | Saptarshis |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Swayambhuva Manu · स्वायम्भुव मनु | Yajna (Vishnu himself) | Varaha (boar-avatar, raises earth from cosmic ocean) | Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, Vasishtha |
| 2 | Swarochisha Manu · स्वारोचिष मनु | Rochana | Vibhu / Vidyutkala | Urja, Stambha, Prana, Dattoli, Rishabha, Nishchara, Arvarivat |
| 3 | Uttama Manu · उत्तम मनु | Satyajit | Satyasena | Sons of Vasishtha - Urja, Mada, Madhu, Pratha, Shiva, Sudhama, Viraja |
| 4 | Tamasa Manu · तामस मनु | Trishikha | Hari | Jyotirdhama, Prithu, Kavya, Chaitra, Agni, Vanaka, Pivara |
| 5 | Raivata Manu · रैवत मनु | Vibhu | Vaikuntha | Hiranyaroma, Vedasri, Urddhabahu, Vedabahu, Sudhama, Parjanya, Mahamuni |
| 6 | Chakshusha Manu · चाक्षुष मनु | Mantradruma | Ajita | Sumedhas, Virajas, Havishmat, Uttama, Madhu, Atinaman, Sahishnu |
| 7 ◄ | Vaivasvata Manu · वैवस्वत मनु | Purandara (current Indra) | 10 avatars of Vishnu (we are HERE - in 28th chatur-yuga of this manvantara) | Kashyapa, Atri, Vasishtha, Vishvamitra, Gautama, Jamadagni, Bharadvaja (current Saptarshis) |
| 8 | Savarni Manu · सावर्णि मनु | Bali (current asura-king, future-Indra) | Sarvabhauma | Galava, Diptiman, Parashurama (cont.), Ashwatthama, Krpa, Rishyashringa, Vyasa (cont.) |
| 9 | Daksha-Savarni Manu · दक्षसावर्णि मनु | Adbhuta | Rishabha | Savana, Dyutimat, Bhavya, Vasu, Medhatithi, Jyotishman, Satya |
| 10 | Brahma-Savarni Manu · ब्रह्मसावर्णि मनु | Shanti | Vishvaksena | Havishmat, Sukrti, Satya, Apammurti, Nabhaga, Apratimaujas, Satyaketu |
| 11 | Dharma-Savarni Manu · धर्मसावर्णि मनु | Vrisha | Dharmasetu | Nishchara, Agnitejas, Vapushman, Vishnu, Aruni, Havishmat, Anagha |
| 12 | Rudra-Savarni Manu · रुद्रसावर्णि मनु | Ritudhama | Sudhama / Svadhama | Tapomurti, Tapaswi, Agnidhraka, Jyotishman, Dyutiman, Sabala, Havya |
| 13 | Deva-Savarni Manu · देवसावर्णि मनु | Devasrishti | Yogeshvara | Nirmoha, Tattvadarshin, Nishprakampa, Nirutsuka, Dhritiman, Avyaya, Sutapas |
| 14 | Indra-Savarni Manu · इन्द्रसावर्णि मनु | Shuchi | Brihadbhanu | Agnibahu, Suchi, Shukra, Magadha, Gridhra, Yukta, Ajita |
365 days
1 deva-day = 360 human days (because Uttarayana = 6 months day, Dakshinayana = 6 months night for devas)
129,600 human years
Satya(4) + Treta(3) + Dvapara(2) + Kali(1) = 10 deva-yuga-units = 4.32 million human years
71 chatur-yugas + sandhya gaps = ~306.72 million years
14 manvantaras + 15 sandhya-junctions = 1000 chatur-yugas = 4.32 billion human years
Equal to one day. During this, naimittika pralaya - Brahma sleeps, the three lokas dissolve.
8.64 billion human years
~3.1 trillion human years
~311.04 trillion human years. After this - Prakritika Pralaya: even Brahma dissolves, only Maha-Vishnu remains.
Trigger: Daily - each night of the individual.
Daily sleep dissolves the personal world. The microcosmic mirror of cosmic dissolution.
Duration: Nightly
Trigger: End of one day of Brahma (every 4.32 billion years).
The three lokas (bhu, bhuvar, svar) dissolve. Brahma sleeps. Janaloka above is preserved. Beings rest in Vishnu, then re-emerge with the next Kalpa.
Duration: One night of Brahma = 4.32 billion human years.
Trigger: End of Brahma's 100-year lifespan (every ~311 trillion years).
Total dissolution. All seven lokas merge back. Tattvas dissolve in reverse - earth → water → fire → air → akasha → ahamkara → mahat → mula-prakriti. Only Maha-Vishnu remains, reclining on Ananta in the causal ocean.
Duration: One full day-and-night of Maha-Vishnu = another 311 trillion years.
Trigger: For the individual jivatma - final liberation.
Moksha. The jivatma's personal cycle ends. It is the only pralaya that is irreversible - the jiva does not return to samsara.
Duration: Eternal - final.
