Most people imagine time as a linear concept which has a defined beginning and an end. This concept of linear time is particularly dominant in the West and especially in the Abrahamic religions like Christianity and Islam. Modern scientific thinking also views time as a straight line which moves in one single direction from the past to the future but this is different from the Eastern understanding of time. Time in Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism is visualized as repeating cycles which means that the ages or the events of the universe go through endless patterns of creation and destruction.

Western scholars in the colonial and modern era have often criticized and made disgraceful remarks about India’s sense of time, these statements often come from a European sense of superiority without delving deep into the rich tradition of Indian philosophy and cosmology. Hegel, a German philosopher once commented that Indians lacked a sense of understanding of time and history. According to Hegel, the concept of cyclic time in India was static which prevented the realization of historical development. He implied that such an understanding of time signified a lack of progress and development, this view overlooked the complexity of the Indian notion of temporal concepts.

The Indian understanding of time was actually way ahead of its time. Vedic texts have talked about concepts like Kalpa which represents one complete cycle of creation and destruction which lasts for about 4.32 billion years, which is remarkably close to modern estimates of the universe’s age. Ancient texts of Hinduism like the Bhagvata Gita and the Upanishads described time as relative, something that is dependent on the observer’s frame of reference which was later seen in the theory of relativity given by Einstein in the early 20th century.

According to the Brahmanda Purana, the universe was created from a cosmic egg which was called the the Brahmanda. According to this sacred text, in the beginning, the cosmos was in a state of void which is called Shunya. In this state of void or emptiness emerged Lord Vishnu reclined upon cosmic waters, from his navel there emerged a lotus on which Lord Brahma sat on and created the entire universe. Talking about time which is called as Samay, the Vishnu Purana (1.3.1-2) states that “Time is cyclical, and the universe undergoes cycles of creation and destruction."

At the very heart of the Hindu concept of time lays the concept of Yuga which is central to understanding the cyclic nature of Hindu cosmology. There are four Yugas or ages in Hindu mythology. These four Yugas actually represent a descent from an age of righteousness to an age of moral decline.

Satya yuga is considered as the first age in Hindu cosmology. This period is termed as a golden age which lasted for about 1,728,000 years. Satya Yuga was an age of righteousness and virtue. The society focused extensively on the concepts of Dharma which is duty and Karma which is action. People in this age lived in harmony with the nature and divine. This period is considered as the golden age of humanity.

After the Satya yuga comes the 2nd age which is called as the Treta Yuga or the silver age. Treta yuga lasted for approximately 1,296,000 years. This yuga saw a decline in spirituality and the rise of materialism. The people in this Yuga were relatively virtuous but they were less spiritual than the people of the former age.

Dvapara yuga or the copper age lasted for 864,000 years and saw a significant decline in morality and values. Society became extremely complex during this age due to the rise of wars and conflicts. This yuga however saw great warriors and heroes who established huge prosperous kingdoms.

The last Yuga which is the present one is called the Kali Yuga or the Iron Age. People in this age are extremely greedy and selfish and the society is unjust with great inequality and marked by degradation of the environment.

Once the kali yuga ends, the cycle starts once again, eternally repeating the cosmic dance of creation, growth and destruction. Beyond the Yugas there is also another interesting concept of Kalpa which is one full day in the life of Brahma, the creator. A Kalpa typically contains over 1000 Mahayugs each of containing the 4 yugas that were mentioned earlier. After each kalpa comes a period of Pralaya, a period where creation is temporarily withdrawn. After this period Brahma awakens and the cycle of creation continues. At the end of Brahma’s lifespan the entire universe dissolves into mahapralaya, a period when all matter merges into the Brahman and after an indefinite period, the cycle of of creation begins once again.

This nature of cyclical time in Hindu philosophy not just talks about the cyclical pattern of the universe but also the nature of life of a particular individual as well. A living being also goes through the cycle of creation and destruction by experiencing birth, life and death. The concept of the yugas is also linked closely to the concept of karma. During the cycles of Birth and death, an individual creates Karma in the form of his thoughts, deeds and actions which will determine his future thus creating a cycle of cause and effect which shapes the destiny of a living being. When one realises the transient nature of the cosmos, then they can move towards the path of detachment from the material world and strive for liberation or Moksha where the soul breaks free from the cycle of birth and death and becomes one with - BRAHMAN, THE ULTIMATE REALITY.

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