Kāla-cakra – the Wheel of Time

Continuing where we left off previously, in this article we explore the concept of time, personified as Kāla Puruṣa or Kāla cakra, from the Parama Samhita.

Divisions of Time

It says that Time is the Creator and Destoyor of all elements (bhūtāni). Time is divided in to twelve sub-parts:

Name	Approx translation	Parama Sam. defn.	Jyotiṣa defn.
Ayana (half-year)	6 months
Ṛtu (season)	2 months
Māsa	1 month
Pakṣa	fortnight
Tithi / ahōrātra	day	24 hours	24 hours
Sāvana	1/3 of day	8 hours	8 hours
Yāma	1/6 or 1/8 of day	4 hours	3 hours
Muhūrta	1/16 of daytime or 1/30 of ahōrātra	45 min	48 min
Nāḍī	1/2 muhūrta or 1/60 of day	22.5 min	24 min
Kalā	1 min or 48 sec (1/30 nāḍī)	45 sec	48 sec
Vināḍī	1/60 of nāḍī	22.5 sec	24 sec
Prāṇa	time for a single breath (1/6 vināḍī)	3.75 sec	4 sec

Samvatsara (1 year) is said to be the Lord of these twelve divisions. The three seasons (in each ayana) are described as the hubs. The months constitute the spokes; the fortnights, the elements. Ṛtus are six in number like the six organs of action beginning feet, etc. The Muhūrtas are stated to constitute the fingers and the toes. The Nāḍis are said to be blood vessels; and Kalās constitute the hair; Vināḍis form the roots of hair on the body; prāṇas are the breath. In this manner, the universe of moving and unmoving creation, rises and sets as do the planets and stars; The Supreme Being (Puruṣa), O, Brahman! having become Kāla, sits and turns the wheel of time perpetually.

Note that the English translation (column 3 above) in verse 70–71 is mostly incorrect. The Jyotiṣa definition results in whole numbers and aligns with the definitions given in Ṡatapatha Brāhmaṇa and Yajur Veda. The number of breaths taken by an adult human is roughly 15 to 18 per minute.

Ayana means a path taken by the Sun. The period of six months from winter solstice to summer soltice is called Uttarāyaṇa. And vice verse is Dakṣiṇāyana. In the tropical calendar (sāyana), Uttarayana usually spans from Dec 22 – Jun 21 and Dakshinayana from June 22 – Dec 21. It does not depend on the path of the moon or lunar considerations.

Each ayana consists of three Ṛtu:s or seasons normally. See below.

Tithi is measured w.r.t the moon whereas ahōrātra is w.r.t the sun. An ahōrātra is always 24 hours, though the solar month can span from ~29.5 days to ~31.5 days.

Each lunar month consists of two fortnights, each corresponding to the waxing moon (ṡukla-pakṣa) and the waning moon (kṛṣṇa-pakṣa).

Rulers of the months

The twelve Ṡaktis (powers) sprang in regular order from those twelve forms which are described to be His. These, having come to the earth, remain there forever. From these Ṡaktis again sprang the twelve Mūrtipālas; they are known in the world here by their respective Śaktis.

	Ṡakti	Mūrtipāla	Par. Sam. Month	Today’s name	Solar month
1	Yōgēṡvarī	Viṣṇu	Madhu	Caitra	Mīna
2	Sukhā	Madhusūdana	Mādhava	Vaiṡākha	Mēṣa
3	Prajn̄a	Trivikrama	Ṡukra	Jyaiṣṭha	Vṛṣabha
4	Puṣṭi	Vāmana	Ṡuci	Āṣāḍha	Mithuna
5	Smṛti	Ṡrīdhara	Nabhas	Ṡrāvaṇa	Karkāṭa
6	Dīptī	Hṛṣīkēṡa	Nābhasya	Bhādrapada	Siṃha
7	Rāgā	Padmanābha	Iṣa	Āṡvina	Kanyā
8	Vāk	Dāmōdara	Ūrja	Kārttika	Tulā
9	Nīti	Kēṡava	Sahas	Mārgaṡira	Vṛṡcika
10	Kānti	Nārāyaṇa	Sahasi (Sahasya)	Puṣya	Dhanus
11	Amṛtā	Mādhava	Tapas	Māgha	Makara
12	Ṡakti	Gōvinda	Tapasya	Phālguna	Kumbha

We’re not sure whether they (column 4) are Amānta or Pūrṇimānta months, most likely the former. We know that these are lunar months because the names of the months (Madhu … Tapasya) coincide with Vedic Jyōtiṡa where an intercalary month “aṃhasaspati” (adhika-māsa) is also mentioned. The concept of Adhika māsa doesn’t occur in a solar calendar. The Mūrtipāla of this leap month is Puruṣōttama (Ṡakti is Ānandā). However, the Rashtriya Panchang considers the months in column 4 as solar months, whose zodiacal names are in the “Solar month” column (column 6).

Some Vaishnavas such as ISKCON, continue to use the names of “Mūrtipāla”s as synonymous with lunar months.