Universe Age – As Per Vedas

What does vedas say about our universe age? And how it will be used to calculate the age of our universe? I will explain, using the age of universe, by taking brahma’s age as the base for the caluculation.

Vedas say that before the creation of the universe Lord Vishnu is sleeping in the ocean of all causes.

His bed is a giant serpent with thousands of cobra like hoods. By the way, in the trinity of Creator, Maintainer and Destroyer as mentioned in the vedas, Lord Vishnu is the maintainer. Brahma is the creator and Shiva the destroyer.

While Vishnu is asleep, a lotus sprouts of his navel (note that navel is symbolised as the root of creation!). Inside this lotus, Brahma is born. Brahma creates the universe which we all live in.

Brahma himself may be the universe as well, which is why the vedic texts say Brahmand meaning Universe. I speculate here that so this universe created from the navel (which is a single point) may well be referring to the universe created out of bigbang! Which is why it is described as lotus blooms out of the navel, much like our big bang universe.

Now this universe is not a permanent universe, it is temporary, Brahma lives for 100 years say the vedas and then dies and then a new universe is born. So as per vedas our universe lives for 100 years.

For now, brahma represents our universe which has birth and death, a big bang and a big cruch, from a navel singularity. Vishnu represents the eternity that lies beyond our universe which has no birth or death and that which is eternal!

Vedas say that thousands of brahmas have passed away! In other words, this is not the first time universe has been created.

Let us come back to the time measurements now. Brahma lives for hundred years say vedas and we are in the first day of the 51st year of the brahma.

A Year of Brahma :

(i.e [ day = 14 Manvantaras && night = 14 Manvantaras ] = 28 Manvantaras )

But then Brahma is resting in the night, so lets get back to the day again.

Each Manvantara is made up of 71 Mahayuga.

(i.e 1 Manvantara = 71 Mahayuga)

We are in the 28th Mahayuga of this Manvantara say the vedas. 

A Mahayuga is a collection of 4 Yugas.

(i.e 1 Mahayuga = 4 Yuga) [Maha means giant or huge…]

The 4 yugas are Satya Yuga (also called Krita Yuga), Treta Yuga, Dwapara Yuga, Kali Yuga. We are in the Kaliyuga of our current Mahayuga say the vedas.

[Satya Yuga lasts for 40% of its Mahayuga]
[Treta Yuga lasts for 30% of its Mahayuga]
[Dwapara Yuga lasts for 20% of its Mahayuga]
[Kali Yuga lasts for 10% of its Mahayuga] 

Now finally we have reached to a timescale which we can relate to our own years.

(i.e 1 Kaliyuga = 432000 solar years)

Now, a Kaliyuga has the length of one Yuga.

[1 Mahayuga has 10 Yugas of which four are in Satya Yuga, 3 in Treta Yuga, 2 in Dwapara and 1 in Kali Yuga.

So a Mahayuga = 10 times the Kaliyuga i.e 4,320,000 solar years] 

IV. Mathematical Calculations…

Now, it’s bit confusing, i will try to explain as clear as possible, by some mathematical calculations.

//Just follow the steps//
//That would be reverse calculations//

1 Mahayuga = 4,320,000 years
1 Manvantara = 71 Mahayugas
1 day of Brahma(excluding night)= 14 Manvantaras = (14*71 = 994 Mahayugas)

Now a small addition here(just like we have in physics error correction)…
Vedas also say that before and after each Manvantara there is a gap equivalent to 4 Yugas (Not MahaYugas).

So now, 1 day of Brahma = 14 Manvantaras + (15 x 4 Yugas)
= 994 Mahayugas + 60 Yugas
= 994 Mahayugas + 6 MahaYugas = 1000

So 1 day of Brahma = 1000 MahaYugas = 4,320,000,000 years

That is just the day, now i will include the night!!!

[1 night is again 1000 MahaYugas = 4,320,000,000 years]

1 Complete day = day + night = 8,640,000,000 years = 8.64 billion years.

Note that we are in the 7th Manvantara of this day. So let us calculate how many years have passed since today started for Brahma.

Since, we are in the 7th Manvantaras of Brahma…

Step 1: For 6 Manvantaras we have 71 x 6 = 426 Mahayugas

Step 2: Then we have the gaps between each Manvantara which is 7 x 4 Yugas = 2.8 Mahayugas. 

Step 3: Then we have the current Mahayuga in our Manvantara which is 28th, we are in the last1/10 of it.

(Remember Kaliyuga is the last of 4 yugas and spans 1/10 of a Mahayuga).  So it is 27.9 Mahayugas.

So all put together we have 426 + 2.8 + 27.9 = 456.7 Mahayugas have been already spent in current day of Brahma. Approximately 543 more to go before we all are absorbed back into the Brahma.

Okay so 456.7 in terms of years is

456.7 x 4,320,000 = 1,972,944,456 which is about 2billion years. Somewhat close to what evolution proposes for life on earth.

[If, you did not get it, then it’s fine just see the numbers and be happy].

V. Age of Universe…

Now lets find out the age of our universe as per the vedas.

Let us consider the age of the Brahma to be the age of the universe. This is one number which no modern theory can even come anywhere near to it.

As we saw earlier a day of Brahma has 2000 MahaYugas (day + night).

There are 360 days in a year for Brahma and we are in the first day of 51st year.

I. So, we have : 360 x 50= 18000 days have passed for Brahma
II. This is equivalent to 18000 x 2000 x 4320000 Human Years
III. In other words 155,520,000,000,000 Human Years
IV. Add the current day of Brahma which is1,972,944,456 Humans Years

So as per the vedas, the current age of the universe is 155,521,972,944,456 years which is about 155,522 billion years!!!

Modern day science has been able to predict age of our universe to be only about 15-20 billion years! Moreover Since we are in the first day of 51st year of Brahma, almost equal amout of time has to pass before this universe ends!!!

So either modern science still has a long way to go in estimating the age of our universe
OR
The universe mentioned in vedas is the mother of all universes (a multiverse probably) including our own universe !!!

More interesting: 

Vedas also say that the average human life span in each yuga is as follows:

I. Kali Yuga = 100 Years
II. Dwapara Yuga = 1,000 Years
III. Treta Yuga = 10,000 Years
IV. Satya Yuga = 1,00,000 Years.