Om! Salutations to the Illustrious and Great Lord of the Heavenly Hosts. original: "Oṃ śrī manmahāgaṇādhipataye namaḥ". This is a traditional invocation to the elephant-headed god Ganesha, the remover of obstacles, at the start of a literary work.

I bow to supreme Time, the creator of the world's origin, which is without beginning or end, non-dual, and renowned for the manifestation and destruction of the universe. || 1 || original: "kāla" (Time). In Indian philosophy, Time is often personified as a divine force or an aspect of the ultimate reality.

Its divisions, such as Eras and Great Epochs Manvantara: A vast period of time in Hindu cosmology, roughly 306 million years., are designated by external conditions. These must be determined, as they are certainly essential for the proper performance of religious duties. || 2 ||

Since divisions such as the year are established as parts of ritual action, they must be determined. Therefore, this clear determination is now being explained. || 3 ||

Astronomers Jyotirvida: One who knows the "science of light," encompassing both astronomy and astrology. say that the year Saṃvatsara: A full year, often referring specifically to the 60-year Jovian cycle. is of three types: Lunar, Terrestrial, and Solar, differing further by the type of month. || 4 || original: "cāndra-sāvana-sauraiḥ". These represent different ways of measuring a year: by the moon's phases, by sunrise-to-sunrise days, or by the sun's passage through the zodiac.

Others say there are further divisions based on the movements of Jupiter and the Solstices; thus, they declare the year to be five-fold. || 5 || original: "bārhaspatya" (related to the planet Jupiter).

Of these, the first type of year is considered to have sixty variations, known by names famous in the science of astronomy, starting with "Prabhava" and so on. || 6 || The Hindu calendar uses a 60-year cycle where each year has a specific name; "Prabhava" is the first year of this cycle.

In the sequence of years beginning with "Prabhava," every five years constitute a "Yuga" Yuga: Here referring to a small five-year cycle used in ancient Vedic timekeeping, rather than the more famous "Four Ages" of world history.. In the year...