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We know from scriptures about the time durations in the cosmology , about Yugas , Chaturyugas , Kalpas,etc. Also,we know after Lord Brahma's 100 years will pass then he will reborn after Mahapralaya. We are in the time period of 7th Lord Brahma at present.So,time since the beginning of creation of everything,i.e.,from the 1st lord brahma is xyz years.

But doesn't that contradict the fact that creation process is cyclic in nature without any beginning.

LSSJ Broly
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  • For contextual purpose - Can you please link where exactly is this "7 Brahma's time period" found, if any? Theologically speaking, we are in the time period of infinite-th Brahma, because the BG 2.12 holds good. – Vivikta Feb 23 '22 at 13:37
  • @Vivikta u can see this Answer to Will Lord Hanuman become the next Lord Brahma? Which text says that? by Anubhav Singh https://www.quora.com/Will-Lord-Hanuman-become-the-next-Lord-Brahma-Which-text-says-that/answer/Anubhav-Singh-1306?ch=15&oid=315884558&share=6d4e3ac3&target_type=answer – LSSJ Broly Feb 23 '22 at 13:47
  • There in verse 43 , Lord Brahma says that इदं च सप्तम जन्मं... He explains that in his 7th birth he was born from the lotus from the navel of Lord Narayana....And since Mahabharata which is available to us belongs to this kalpa , can we say that this is the time period of 7th Lord Brahma ?@Vivikta – LSSJ Broly Feb 23 '22 at 13:54
  • @Vivikta I got a doubt from this,can you clarify ? This kalpa is said to be the 51st kalpa of Lord Brahma..And in that answer in verse 43 of Mahabharata lord brahma says इदं च सप्तम जनमं..(In present tense). So , is this Kalpa 51st or 7th ? – LSSJ Broly Feb 23 '22 at 14:04
  • @Vivikta But what do you think about the no.7 mentioned in present tense in that verse?? – LSSJ Broly Feb 23 '22 at 14:31
  • You need to provide me with the original text so that I may read the full section to understand its context. Quora might not be a good place to form opinions – Vivikta Feb 23 '22 at 14:54
  • @Vivikta I will try my best to find and understand the context as this thing drives me curious (^_^) but if possible , please u also try , this thing is in the shanti parva as per the author , I only know that much at present :( :( – LSSJ Broly Feb 23 '22 at 15:24
  • you need to give the specific scriptural reference from where you came from this belief you have in your question. The question is incomplete and unclear as it stands. – Swami Vishwananda Feb 26 '22 at 05:57
  • @SwamiVishwananda I got this doubt from this answer https://www.quora.com/Will-Lord-Hanuman-become-the-next-Lord-Brahma-Which-text-says-that/answer/Anubhav-Singh-1306?ch=15&oid=315884558&share=6d4e3ac3&target_type=answer – LSSJ Broly Feb 26 '22 at 08:13
  • @SwamiVishwananda There after explaining his previous 6 births lord brahma tells that इदं च सप्तमं जनमं...That means that it's the 7th time lord brahma is born..I saw in a comment the author of that question told that it's in the shanti parva of Mahabharata – LSSJ Broly Feb 26 '22 at 08:16
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    @Vivikta I got the part where it is stated...http://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/m12/m12c047.htm – LSSJ Broly Feb 26 '22 at 08:52
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    So basically, the full context is - Brahma has lost the Vedas to Madhu-Kaithabh. He goes to Vishnu who's in yoga-nidra. There, Brahma eulogizes Visnu, and propitiates how Brahma is manifested from Vishnu's body in each successive Kalpa-morning. Note that this Kalpa-morning is a new day of Brahma. And there are 36500 Kalpa-mornings (and equivalent kalpa-nights) in a lifetime of Brahma. So, Brahma may as well can tell 36500 ways he was manifested from Visnu's body in his each new day. There is no '7th Brahma', only '7 different ways of current Brahma's manifestation' has been described – Vivikta Feb 26 '22 at 17:00
  • @Vivikta Understood this :D but whether he could explain his all 36000 births or not , one question remains unanswered that why he chose to use present tense while explaining his 7th manifestation...That is creating a confusion whether this kalpa is 7th or 51st – LSSJ Broly Feb 26 '22 at 17:07
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    Think of it as explaining the most important manifestations. Like in a story we write interesting things only, not mundane or unimportant stuff. So similarly, he selected the 7 most important manifestations (as per his choice or opinion) that he thinks are important. Thus he defines the first day of his 51st year as his seventh birth (arbitrarily). This is my analysis of this "apparent-contradiction". This may as well be an example of a literary-poetic expression (way of speaking) - After all, Mahabharata is (also) the longest Poem ever. :) – Vivikta Feb 26 '22 at 17:24
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    @Vivikta personally I'm getting inclined towards your 2nd possible reason..... Literary-poetic expression.....I also think that could be the reason – LSSJ Broly Feb 26 '22 at 17:38

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There is no contradiction. There was a creation before Mahapralaya or prakritka pralaya. We are not in the time period of 7th Lord Brahma. We are in the manvantara of 7th Manu known as Vaivasvata Manu. I have given below the concepts of both pralaya and manvantara.

pralaya (‘dissolution [of the world]’)

The Hindu scriptures propound the cyclic theory of creation. The cycle of sṛṣṭi (creation), sthiti (preservation) and laya (dissolution) goes on endlessly.

The dissolution, called laya or pralaya, is of four types: nitya; naimittika; prākṛtika and ātyantika.

Nityapralaya refers to the daily deaths of beings that are born. Naimittika pralaya is the dissolution that takes place at the end of a day of Brahmā, called ‘kalpa’ which is equivalent to 4.32 billion human years. The prākṛtika pralaya is the dissolution of everything into prakṛti (the basic matrix of the universe, often identified with the māyā-power of God) at the end of Brahmā’s life of (his) hundred years equivalent to 10^36 human years. Ātyantikapralaya actually refers to mokṣa or liberation wherein a jīva is liberated from transmigratory existence.

A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism by Swami Harshananda

manvantara

(‘period of rule or epoch of a Manu’) The concept of time as given in the purāṇas is, to say the least, mind-boggling!

Each day of Brahmā, the creator, (called ‘kalpa’ by the purāṇas) includes one thousand Mahāyugas. Each Mahāyuga includes the four well-known yugas: Kṛtayuga, Tretāyuga, Dvāparayuga and Kaliyuga.

This day or kalpa is divided into fourteen manvantaras (epochs of Manu) or periods of time, ruled by a Manu. Each manvantara has a little more than 71 Mahāyugas.

The fourteen Manus ruling over these manvantaras of the present kalpa are: Svāyambhuva, Svārociṣa, Uttama, Tāmasa, Raivata, Cākṣuṣa, Vaivasvata, Sāvarṇi, Dakṣa-sāvarṇi, Brahma-sāvarṇi, Dharma-sāvarṇi, Rudra-sāvarṇi, Ruci and Bhauma.

The Manu of the present age is Vaivasvata. He is the son of Sūrya and is also known as Śrāddhadeva.

Each Manu has his own set of gods, Indra, ṛṣis and others. The name of the present Indra is Purandara. The Saptarṣis or the Seven Sages of this manvantara are: Vasiṣṭha, Kaśyapa, Atri, Jamadagni, Gautama, Viśvāmitra and Bharadvāja.

In terms of human years, one Mahāyuga is of the duration of 43,20,000 years. Hence the period of a manvantara comes to 308 million human years!

A Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism by Swami Harshananda

Pradip Gangopadhyay
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