सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद्ब्रह्मणो विदु: |
रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जना: || 17||
sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ
rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ te ’ho-rātra-vido janāḥ
sahasra—one thousand; yuga—age; paryantam—until; ahaḥ—one day; yat—which; brahmaṇaḥ—of Brahma; viduḥ—know; rātrim—night; yuga-sahasra-antām—lasts one thousand yugas; te—they; ahaḥ-rātra-vidaḥ—those who know this day and night; janāḥ—people
Translation:
Those people who know the length of the day of Brahma which ends in a thousand yugas and night which also ends in a thousand yugas, know day and night.
Commentary:
In the previous verse, it was stated that all the worlds up to Brahmaloka are non-eternal, subject to change, and they come and go. Here the Lord gives an estimate of the duration of day and night of Brahma (Creator) and thereby suggests that even Brahma is limited by time. The day of Brahma is thousand yugas and night another thousand yugas. So one complete day and night for Brahma endures two thousand Mahayugas. The following table shows the duration in years:
| Kaliyuga | 432000 years |
| Dvaparayuga | 864000 years (Twice Kaliyuga) |
| Tretayuga | 1296000 years (Thrice Kaliyuga) |
| Kritayuga or Satyayuga | 1728000 years (Four times Kaliyuga) |
| Total | 4320000 (1 Mahayuga) |
One thousand such Mahayugas make a day, and another one thousand such Mahayugas make a night for Brahma. Three hundred and sixty-five such days make a year, and one hundred such years constitute the life-time of Brahma. What one should understand is that even this astronomical duration of life of Brahma is limited by time. The sage is not interested in anything by time, and the transitory pleasures derived by living in such worlds. He aspires to go beyond time, to realise the immeasurable Paramatma. Whereas everything is conditioned by time, the Lord alone is eternal. In Him, all time, space, and all the worlds are created by the power of His Mayasakti. The wise man takes no thought of the unreal but aspires for the Eternal. He knows what time is, and how time destroys all things, and how he can transcend time by taking refuge in Paramatma.
Question: What is the time-scheme of Brahma (Creator)?
Answer: One thousand Mahayugas constitute a day and another one thousand Mahayugas a night for Brahma.
Question: What is the conclusion drawn from this?
Answer: Brahma (Creator) is also limited by time. Paramatma is alone beyond time. So the idea is that the wise man should seek the Eternal.
Bhagavad Gita: Chapter 8 🔻 (28 Verses)
