Siddhanta Shiromani (Crown of Treatises)

Commentary on the Siddhanta Shiromani

Commentary

In the Krita, Treta, and the other ages, this "foot" or quarter is fixed. A Great Age yuga referring to the Mahayuga, the sum of the four ages: Krita, Treta, Dvapara, and Kali is formed by these four quarters combined together. The total duration of time resulting from this union is 4,320,000 The OCR shows 432 followed by filler dots, representing the base number for the Great Age.

This is the measure of the Great Age. Now, the number of the ages is given as "the teeth and the oceans" original: radābdhayo; using the Bhūta-saṅkhyā system where 'teeth' = 32 and 'oceans' = 4, read right-to-left as 432. This results in forty-three hundred thousand and twenty thousand 4,320,000 as the measure of the Great Age. [32]

Now, regarding the Day of Brahma brahma-dina: Manu states that the day of the Lotus-Born One an epithet for Brahma, the creator deity consists of one thousand such Great Ages. His night is also of the same duration. [33]

The junctions sandhi periods of transition between ages or reigns of the fourteen Manus manvantara — which are equal to a Krita Age 1,728,000 years — occur at the beginning, middle, and end. When these are combined, the day of the Creator original: vedhas becomes equal to one thousand cycles of the four ages. That total is also called a Kalpa kalpa. A full day and night of Brahma consist of two such Kalpas. [34]

As stated, "the teeth and the oceans" equals 4,320,000. The measure of the Great Age is thus declared. By seventy-one such Great Ages the text lists partial calculations: 30 61 2..., one Manu manvantara occurs. Through fourteen such Manus partial calculations: 521 5408... in one single Day of Brahma, the total measure of that Day of Brahma is established as 4,320,000,000.

Brahma’s night is "of equal measure" original: pramāṇikā; this is also described here by the use of that specific word. Now, regarding the fourteen Manus: it is said in the Puranas ancient encyclopedic scriptures and other texts that this constitutes Brahma's day. That Day of Brahma is now explained through the method of ages: 4,320,000 multiplied by one thousand, reaching 4,320,000,000, because seventy-one Great Ages [make a Manu cycle]...