सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद्ब्रह्मणो विदु: | रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जना: || 17 || |
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“Those who know the day and night of Brahma, which spans a thousand cycles of creation and dissolution, are the ones who have true knowledge”
Commentary: Lord Krishna highlights the cosmic perspective of those devotees who grasp the vastness of time. He states that a single day of Brahma, the creator, comprises a thousand yugas, and an equal duration constitutes his night. This immense scale of time, known as a kalpa, represents a single cycle of creation and dissolution.
While delving into intricate mathematical calculations may not be essential for immediate practical understanding, the essence of this verse lies in comprehending the nature of time’s cyclical nature and the insignificance of individual lifetimes within this vast cosmic framework.
To simplify the concept, consider that one yuga can be approximated as a period of one million years. A thousand yugas, or one Kalpa, represents the lifespan of Brahma, during which countless species and universes come into existence and dissolve.
Within this grand scheme, the full human lifespan of 100 years encompassing a mere 1000 million breaths, pales in comparison. This finite human existence is just one fleeting cycle within the eternal dance of creation and dissolution.
The verse serves as a reminder of the transient nature of individual lives and the enduring cosmic cycles that govern the universe. While our earthly experiences may seem significant, they are mere ripples in the vast ocean of time.