FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 3.11.14

संवत्सर: परिवत्सर इडावत्सर एव च । अनुवत्सरो वत्सरश्च विदुरैवं प्रभाष्यते ॥ १४ ॥
saṁvatsaraḥ parivatsara
[samvatsarah parivatsara]
iḍā-vatsara eva ca
[idaa-vatsara eva cha]
anuvatsaro vatsaraś ca
[anuvatsaro vatsarash cha]
viduraivaṁ prabhāṣyate
[viduraivam prabhaashyate]
Word-for-word
saṁvatsaraḥ — orbit of the sun parivatsaraḥ — circumambulation of Bṛhaspati iḍā-vatsaraḥ — orbit of the stars eva — as they are ca — also anuvatsaraḥ — orbit of the moon vatsaraḥ — one calendar year ca — also vidura — O Vidura evam — thus prabhāṣyate — they are so told.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
saṁvatsaraḥ parivatsara
saṁvatsaraḥ
orbit of the sun
parivatsaraḥ
circumambulation of Bṛhaspati
iḍā-vatsara eva ca
iḍā-vatsaraḥ
orbit of the stars
eva
as they are
ca
also
anuvatsaro vatsaraś ca
anuvatsaraḥ
orbit of the moon
vatsaraḥ
one calendar year
ca
also
viduraivaṁ prabhāṣyate
vidura
O Vidura
evam
thus
prabhāṣyate
they are so told.
There are five different names for the orbits of the sun, moon, stars and luminaries in the firmament, and they each have their own saṁvatsara.
Purport

The subject matters of physics, chemistry, mathematics, astronomy, time and space dealt with in the above verses of Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam are certainly very interesting to students of the particular subject, but as far as we are concerned, we cannot explain them very thoroughly in terms of technical knowledge. The subject is summarized by the statement that above all the different branches of knowledge is the supreme control of kāla, the plenary representation of the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Nothing exists without Him, and therefore everything, however wonderful it may appear to our meager knowledge, is but the work of the magical wand of the Supreme Lord. As far as time is concerned, we beg to subjoin herewith a table of timings in terms of the modern clock.

One truṭi — 8/13,500 second

One vedha — 8/135 second

One lava — 8/45 second

One nimeṣa — 8/15 second

One kṣaṇa — 8/5 second

One kāṣṭhā — 8 seconds

One laghu — 2 minutes

One daṇḍa — 30 minutes

One prahara — 3 hours

One day — 12 hours

One night — 12 hours

One pakṣa — 15 days

Two pakṣas comprise one month, and twelve months comprise one calendar year, or one full orbit of the sun. A human being is expected to live up to one hundred years. That is the way of the controlling measure of eternal time.

The Brahma-saṁhitā (5.52) affirms this control in this way:

yac-cakṣur eṣa savitā sakala-grahāṇāṁ rājā samasta-sura-mūrtir aśeṣa-tejāḥ yasyājñayā bhramati saṁbhṛta-kāla-cakro govindam ādi-puruṣaṁ tam ahaṁ bhajāmi

“I worship Govinda, the primeval Lord, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, under whose control even the sun, which is considered to be the eye of the Lord, rotates within the fixed orbit of eternal time. The sun is the king of all planetary systems and has unlimited potency in heat and light.”

— A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupāda
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
O Vidura! The sun’s full revolution through the zodiac belt is called a saṁvatsara. The full revolution of Jupiter through the zodiac is called parivatsara. The year for twenty-seven constellations is called a vatsara. The lunar year is called an anuvatsara. The remaining constellations have a year called idā-vatsara. The planets, constellations and other constellations have been described. This verse gives the different names of the years for the orbiting sun and other heavenly bodies. One year for the sun is called a saṁvatsara (365.25 days). One year for Jupiter is called a parivatsara (11.87 years). One year for the moon is called an anuvatsara (327.6 days). [Note: A lunar year is twelve lunar months from full moon to full moon. ] Since there is no orbital motion of the constellations time is measured using the moon’s movements. For the twenty-seven constellations, twelve months of twenty-seven days makes a vatsara (324 days). Because of there is no measuring system in relation to the remaining constellations, they have a year called idā-vatsara with solar months of thirty days (total of 360 days).
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Death and dissolution are not interruptions of life but its honest end — and the verse points at this so we begin to live as if we knew it. The pivot here is Supreme Personality of Godhead.
Reflection Questions
  • What conversation have you been postponing as if time were unlimited?
  • What would you say to the Lord today if you knew you would meet Him this evening?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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