​​ [Die Zeitrechnung der Brahminien]

Nothing makes the contrast between the petty and limited knowledge of modern times and the broader outlook of occult science more striking than a comparison of the mutual views as to the age of the world. However, the theological view that the world was created six thousand years ago, a tenet which could not be publicly disputed a few decades ago, has given way to a more expansive view of science. One has, e.g., calculated the growth of coral-reefs, and found that such a bank of a certain height required many thousands of years to form; From the phenomena of upheavals that have taken place on this globe, conclusions have been drawn about the duration of earlier periods of evolution; Nevertheless, the opinions of scholars differ widely as to how long it will last, and there can be no question of real knowledge of the age of the sun, the moon, the earth, or man. Modern science is at best guessing.

 The calculations of the world periods in Manu and the Purānas are based on the higher knowledge of certain laws of nature and observations of the Zodiac during many generations. Among the Indian astronomers of “prehistoric” times who dealt with it, Nārada, the Vedic Rishi and Asuramaya of the Atlanteans, are particularly mentioned. These calculations generally agree with that of the Secret Doctrine. According to these sources, we have the following numbers:

 I. From the beginning of the evolution of our solar system to this year (1893) 1,955,884,693 years.

 II. The development of the (etheric) mineral, vegetable and animal kingdoms to the point where they appear as the material bodies known to us, took about 300,000,000 years.

 III. Time since “mankind” first appeared in the planetary chain 1,664,500,993 years.

 IV. Since the beginning of the Vaivasvata Manvantara (“Adam”) 18,618,734 years.

 V. The duration of one Manvantara is 308,448,000 years.

 VI. Fourteen manvantaras and one satya-yuga make up one day of Brahma and correspond to 4,320,000,000 of our years.

 The year 1893 is the 4,995th since the beginning of the Kali Yuga.

 The individual periods last as follows:

 Krita Yuga 1,728,000 years.

 Treta Yuga 1,296,000 years.

 Dwāpara Yuga 864,000 years.

 Kali Yuga 432,000 years.

 These four yugas together make a mahā-yuga = 4,320,000.

 The fourteen Manvantaras include 994 Mahā-Yugas = 4,294,080,000.

 Add to this the sandhis or intermediate periods = 25,920,000.

 Hence, one kalpa (14 manvantaras) or 1 day of brahmā = 4,320,000,000.

 One night of Brahmā is of equal duration, hence one day and one night of Brahmā = 8,640,000,000.

 360 such days and nights are a year of Brahmā = 3,110,400,000,000 and 100 such years are a Maha-Kalpa = 311,040,000,000,000 of our years, a number which even the shrewdest common sense just as “nonsensical,” i.e., seems incomprehensible than the number of miles that separates us from the nearest visible fixed star, but the consideration of which may at least serve to keep the megalomania of the ephemeral mind within certain limits.

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