DECIPHERING DURGA SAPTASHATI
DECIPHERING DURGA SAPTASHATI
(This article can be very informative for the inquisitive minds interested in knowing our Vedic science & history)
ॐ नमश्चण्डिकायै*
“ॐ ऐं” मार्कण्डेय उवाच॥१॥
सावर्णिः सूर्यतनयो यो मनुः कथ्यतेऽष्टमः।
निशामय तदुत्पत्तिं विस्तराद् गदतो मम॥२॥
महामायानुभावेन यथा मन्वन्तराधिपः।
स बभूव महाभागः सावर्णिस्तनयो रवेः॥३॥
स्वारोचिषेऽन्तरे पूर्वं चैत्रवंशसमुद्भवः।
सुरथो नाम राजाभूत्समस्ते क्षितिमण्डले॥४॥
Today, my wife was reading Durga Saptashati on the occasion of 1st day of Chaitra Navratri in Chaitra Shukla Pratipada Vikram Samvat 2080 or March 22nd, 2023, and suddenly she stopped reading and asked me about Savarni Manu which was mentioned in the form of Katha or story in Durga Saptashati, in chapter- 1. After hearing from her, I immediately checked my last article where the name of Savarni Manu is mentioned as the Manu (Chieftain) of his Manvanatra (It is a sum total of time of four yugas (satayuga, tretayuga, dwaparyuga and kaliyuga multiplied by 71 times).
Generally, when we read Kathas (stories) mentioned in our religious books, we do not take them seriously or listen properly and we treat them as some kind of mythical stories written by our rishis, mahatmas or brahmins. But if we read them carefully and try to understand and decipher every word, then we will find that they contain huge amount of hidden information about sciences and millions of years of ancient history of human race, narrated in the form of Shruti, Smriti and Kathas (stories). As human being, we may forget complex calculations, but we may not forget the stories in the form of katha and folklores told by our ancestors or parents since our childhood or written in the form of religious books. This is the reason that despite consistent attack on our Sanatan Dharma and destructions of invaluable manuscripts over the period of time by invaders, the Vedic science and stories of ancient India and Sanatan Dharma survived.
Recently I had written and posted an article on “Our Life on Earth – As per Puranas”(https://ancientindiancivilization.blogspot.com/2023/02/our-life-on-earth-as-per-puranas.html), where I had mentioned names of 14 Manvantars which consists of 4 yugas or Mahayuga of 4,320,000 years each multiplied by 71 times in each Manvantar. It means, in every Manvantar, all four yugas get repeated 71 times (Means 71 Satayagua, 71 Tretayuga, 71 Dwaparyuga and 71 Kaliyuga in every Manvantar). Currently we are in 28th Mahayuga of Sweta Varah Kalpa. How?? We will discuss this in subsequent paragraphs.
If we further multiply each Manvantar by 14 times, then we get the total time of a Kalpa which is a daytime of Brahma. Every Manvantar is headed by their respective Manu who leads the human race with the help of Sapta Rishis (Seven Saints). These rishis provide their names as Gotra to all of us, so that we could identify our lineage in every Manvantar.
From my last article, I am copying and pasting the list of Manvantars and the millions of years of ancient but unique time keeping system mentioned hereunder in our Puranas, for the reference to understand what we are talking about. For that we should first know the names and length of each Yuga and names and length of each Manvantar and Kalpa.
The Four Yugas:
1. Satayuga – 1,728,000 years
2. Tretayuga- 1,296,000 years
3. Dwaparyuga- 864,000 years
4. Kaliyuga – 432,000 years (Currently, 7,584 years have been spent from the start
of Kaliyuga to AD 2023).
Total: 4,320,000 years OR 1 Mahayuga
(Some later proponents in early centuries, have propounded the theory of dev or divine years which is 360 human years equivalent of 1 divine year. If we take this calculation, then 432,000 years of Kaliyuga / 360 years = 1,200 years. Whereas modern researchers have already calculated the date of the war of Mahabharata as 5,561 BC or 7,584 years from now based on astronomical references mentioned in Mahabharata, and that was almost at the end of Dwaparyuga).
The above four yugas is called Mahayuga and 71 such Mahayugas is called 1 Manvantar.
Therefore, mathematically, 1 Manvantar should be 4,320,000 years X 71 times = 306,720,000 (Three hundred six million, seven hundred twenty thousand) years.
Names of 14 Manvantars are as follows:
1. Swayambhu Manvantar
2. Swarochisha Manvantar
3. Auttami Manvantar
4. Tapasa Manvantar
5. Raivata Manvantar
6. Chakshusha Manvantar
(306,720,000 years of each Manvantara X 6 Manvantars + 8,640,000 (5 transition periods equivalent of
Satayuga in between them) = 1,848,960,000 (One billion, 848 million, 960 thousand) human years from 1st to
6th Manvantar).
7. Vaivasvata Manvantar (Current ongoing Manvantar)
(We are in 28th Mahayuga out of 71 Mahayugas in this Manvantar where three (3) yugas have already passed. Therefore, 4,320,000 Years of 1 Mahayuga (or total of 4 Yugas) X 27 Mahayugas (which has passed already) = 116,640,000 years + 3,895,584 years (total of 3 yugas + 7,584 years of current Kaliyuga until AD 2023) + 1,848,960,000 years of above 6 Manvantars) = 1,969,503,168 (One billion, 969 million, 503 thousand, 168 years) of human years or 5,470,842 Dev or divine years from 1st Manvantar to AD 2023 current year).
8. Savarni Manvantar
9. Daksha Savarni Manvantar
10. Brahma Savarni Manvantar
11. Dharma Savarni Manvantar
12. Rudra Savarni Manvantar
13. Deva Savarni Manvantar
14. Indra Savarni Manvantar
(Total years of 14 Manvantars = 306,720,000 years of 1 Manvantar X 14 Manvantars + 13 Transition period equivalent of a Satayuga in between them = 4,316,544,000 (4 billion, 316 million 544 thousand) human years.
It is also called 1 Kalpa or the Day time of Brahma (the creator) (roughly 1 Kalpa = 1,000 Mahayugas).
After 1 (one) Kalpa deluge happens, and everything gets destroyed on the planet and that becomes the end of the Kalpa. The same number of years are the period of transition for a new Kalpa which is termed as the night of Brahma in our Puranas. Therefore, 2 Kalpas = 1 Ahoratram or 1 full day of Brahma including night.
In Durga Saptashati, Chapter-1, (Page 86 - 88 onward - https://vedpuran.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/durga-saptashati-hindi.pdf); Rishi Markandey ji, tells the story of killings of demons by name Madhu & Kaitav, in Sholka-1. He tells about the origin of son of Surya called Savarni who was an Eighth Manu (chief of human race) and how he became the lord of his Manvantar which is called Savarni Manvantar. He further elaborates the story of a king by name Surath of Chaitra Vans (lineage) in Swarochisa Manvantar from 3rd shlokas onward. In later chapters, it is mentioned that goddess Durga kills Dhumralochan,Madhu & Kaitav, and Sumbha & Nisumbha in Savarni Manvantar.
Swarochisa Manvantar is listed as the 2nd Manvantar out of 14 Manvantars in the present Varah Kalpa or Swetavarah Kalpa. We are in 7th Manvantar which is called Vaivasvata Manvantar, so it may not be surprising to mention about the events happened in past Manvantars, or before Vaivasvata Manvantar.
Now the mind-boggling question comes up that we are in 7th Manvantar which is called Vaivasvata Manvantar. In this Manvantar 27.3 Mahayugas out of 71 Mahayugas, have already passed. Savarni Manvantar is the 8th Manvantar which has not come or happened yet, and there are millions of years yet to go. Then how come we are reading the stories of 8th Manvantar in Durga Saptasathi which has not happened yet???
The Purana also says that the age of Brahma is 100 years and out of which he has already attained the age of 50 years and currently he is in 51st year which is called Sweta Varah Kalpa or Varah Kalpa. Since 50 years of Brahma have already elapsed, this is the second Praradha, also called as Dvitiye Parardha.
The present duration of a kalpa of Brahma is called the Varaha-Kalpa or Svetvarah Kalpa because the incarnation of the lord as Varah took place during the creation of Brahma, who was born on the lotus coming out of the naval of lord Vishnu. Therefore, this Varah kalpa is also called Padma-kalpa.
According to Vishnu Purana, the Padma Kalpa terminates with the end of one Parardha or the first half of Brahma’s life and the commencement of Swetvarah kalpa signifies the beginning of second Parardha.
One Parardha, or half of his existence, has expired, terminating with the Maha Kalpa called Padma. The kalpa termed Varah is the first of the second period of Brahma’s existence. (Vishnu Purana, Canto-1, Chapter III).
TIME PERIOD OF SATI (WIFE OF LORD SHIVA):
The Skanda Puranas says Sati was born in the Swayambhuva Manvantara (1st Manvantar) of the Pitr Kalpa, which was the 30th Kalpa in the second Parardha of Brahma.
Therefore, if we calculate the time then goddess Sati (daughter of Prajapati Daksha & Satrupa) was born or married to Lord Shiva in:
14 Manvantars of Pitr Kalpa is 4,316,544,000 years + 6 Manvantars of Sweta Varah Kalpa is 1,848,960,000 years = 6,165,504,000 (6 billion, 165 million, 504 hundred thousand) human years or 17,126,400 (17 million, 126 thousand 400 years) dev or divine years roughly. I had made a mistake in my calculation about the existence of Sati in my last article by mentioning that Sati was born in the first Manvantar of this Kalpa.
TIME PERIOD OF PARVATI (WIFE OF LORD SHIVA):
Parvati was born in the Vaivasvat Manvantar i.e 7th Manvantar of the present Sweta Varah Kalpa. Sweta Varaha Kalpa is 31st Kalpa in 51st year of Brahma.
As per Chapter 19, Prabhasa Khanda of Skanda Purana – Parvati Devi was born to Himavan (King of Himalaya Kingdom) at the end of Chakshusha Manvatara (6th Manvantara) and beginning of Vaivasvara Manvatara in Sweta Varah Kalpa.
Therefore, goddess Parvati existed in the current Vaivasvara Manvantara. In this Manvantar 27 Mahayugasand 3 Yugas (Satayuga, Tretayuga and Dwaparyuga) have already passed.
Mathematically, 27 Mahayugas X 4,320,000 years (total of 4 yugas) = 116,640,000 + 3,888,000 years of past 3 yugas + 7,584 of current Kaliyuga = 120,535,584 (120 million, 535 hundred 584) human years or 334,821 dev or divine years have already passed.
Points to Note:
Rudra or Lord Shiva lived without his consort ‘Shakti’ (Parvati) for a period of 20 Manvantaras(14 in Pitri Kalpa and 6 in Varaha Kalpa) or for a total period of 6 billion, 165 million, 504 hundred thousand human years OR 17 million, 126 thousand 400 dev or divine years.
Quote:
Lord Shiva says:
54-56. In the second Praradha of Brahma, the 30th Kalpa was well known as Pitr kalpa, in the beginning of the Swayambhu Manvantara therein, you were (known as) Sati. O great goddess, the Daksha was then your father was born of prana, the patriarch. But in this Manvantara, O’ Goddess, Daksha was born of Pracetas.
57. Now, O’ my beloved, Daksha will be born of the right(thumb). All the Brahmanas beginning with Daksha are born in every Yugas.
58. The bereaved of you formerly, O’ my beloved, I was separated from you till the Chakshusa Manvantar of the Varaha Kalpa.
59. This is the twenty-first Manu (i.e beginning from Swayambhu of Pitri Kalpa and ending with of Varah Kalpa) in the Kalpa called Varah. O’ great goddess, in every Kalpa you will have a different name.
60. In this Varah Kalpa, O’ goddess, you became Parvati obtained by Himavan through his penance, when the Chakshashu Manvantar has passed off.
61. O beautiful lady, due to the anger of Daksha you had to be separated from me for the duration of a day of Brahma. Your span of life is the period of his six months.
Conclusion:
1. The katha of goddess Durga killing demons in Savarni Manvantar, shows that it must have happened in the past Manvantars. We are in 31st Kalpa and in the process 30 Savarni Manvantars have passed in past. It is not clear that Durga Saptasathi is talking about which Savarni Manvantars or in which Kalpa this event took place.
2. Puranas and the quote of Lord Shiva as mentioned above, confirms that Sati was born in the 1st Manvantar of Pitra Kalpa and Parvati was born in 1st Mahayuga of 7th Manvantar of Sweta Varah Kalpa. Currently, we are in Kaliyuga of 28th Mahayuga.
3. Then certainly Rishi Markendey ji is not talking about the Savarni Manvantar of last Kalpa (Pitr Kalpa) OR Varah Kalpa of Vaivasvata Manvantar (Current Manvantara) in which goddess Parvati was born. Because if Parvati was born in 7th Manvantar of Varah Kalpa then Savarni Manvantar being 8thManvantara has not come yet in this Kalpa.
4. Now Lord Shiva in shloka 59 above says about Parvati that in every Kalpa she will have a different name. 30 Kalpas have already passed, and every Kalpa Parvati was born with a different name to destroy negative powers on earth.
Hats off to the billions of years of our knowledge and existence on this earth, and their record keeping system of millions of years of events in the form of katha, shruti, smriti and by writings in ancient scriptures.
Points to Ponder:
A. Many people young or old, illiterates or degree holders, are confused about the working of Karma or destiny in their life. If we believe in our ancient science & knowledge, then after knowing the millions of years of history of human life on earth, we can safely assume that our soul has been travelling back & forth through this entire period of time in different Yugas, Manvantars and Kalpa’s.
B. If we also assume that after dying, our soul comes back to life in different bodies or forms, after every 100 years, and if we divide the length of Mahayuga, Manvantara and Kalpa by 100 years of human life, then we can logically assume that we are travelling back and forth on this earth 43,200 times in one Mahayuga;, 3,067,200 times in one Manvantara; and 43,165,440 times in a Kalpa.
If we understand and believe in above assumptions, then we should also understand that in the process we must be creating or building tremendous amount of karmic assets or karmic liabilities (Sanchit Karma as per our sanatan dharma philosophy) with our good or bad deeds in every Yuga, Manvantara or Kalpa. This is the reason; we do not have answers for woes or sufferings of pious souls and undeserving successes to many crooks in the world.
C. I had written couple of articles on Karma, Luck, and Destiny in past to demonstrate how this Karmic energy works and travels back & forth in different lives and affects us for good or bad in this life. If interested in knowing, you may visit my another blog:
1. Philosophy of Karma: http://sssinha.blogspot.com/2015/07/philosophy-of-karmic-truth.html
2. Philosophy of Destiny: http://sssinha.blogspot.com/2017/03/philosophy-of-destiny.html
3. Philosophy of Luck: http://sssinha.blogspot.com/2012/04/philosophy-of-luck.html
Note: Please forgive me for mistakes in my mathematical calculations, assumptions, and logical deliberations. Ancient Indian knowledge system is so huge and deep that one life may not be sufficient even to study an iota of it and then understand. I feel, I am still in the group of toddlers who are trying to crawl towards knowing this ancient knowledge system. We all should feel proud in our Vedic sciences and textbooks and try to explore as much as possible, to separate us from the most primitive culture (the so called modern western world) of the west.
Due to my keen interest in knowing the unknown, I have tried to reason and research as much as possible. We have a lot to give to the world and it would be possible only when we try to read and understand our ancient textbooks and share with others in easy language with mathematical or logical explanations especially for the young minds.
Your comments and suggestions are very much welcomed. Thanks for your time.
Suman Saran Sinha
A pursuer of logical quest
USA, March 22, 2023.
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