How the Bhagavad Gita Explains the Age and Cycles of the Universe

In Vedic cosmology, the universe unfolds in Kalpas and Yugas — vast cycles that challenge our modern sense of time.

Akshara Brahma Yoga, the 8th Adhyaya of the Bhagawad Gita, refers to the ultimate goal of life, the nature of the Supreme Being, and how one can attain liberation from the cycle of life and death.

In this Adhyaya, paragraph 17, Lord Krishna says:सहस्रयुगपर्यन्तमहर्यद् ब्रह्मणो विदुः ।रात्रिं युगसहस्रान्तां तेऽहोरात्रविदो जनाः ॥(sahasra-yuga-paryantam ahar yad brahmaṇo viduḥ rātriṁ yuga-sahasrāntāṁ te 'ho-rātra-vido janāḥ)

Lord Krishna explains the cycle of manifestation (Kalpa) and dissolution (Pralaya) by Brahma and describes the life of the universe as the day and night of Lord Brahma.

He states that a day of Brahma, which is equivalent to 1,000 Maha Yugas, is followed by a night of Brahma, which is also equivalent to 1,000 Maha Yugas.

This forms the core of Vedic cosmology and explains how the universe moves in cycles. The life of the universe (Brahmaand) is linked to the life of the creator, Lord Brahma, and this total lifespan is known as a Maha Kalpa.

A Maha Kalpa, or the life of Brahma, spans 100 years of Brahma.Each Brahma year consists of 360 Ahoratras, and each Ahoratra includes one day (Kalpa) and one night (Pralaya).

One Kalpa or Pralaya is made up of 14 Manvantaras, each ruled by a Manu, the progenitor of the human race.Each Manvantara is followed by a shorter transition period called Manvantara Sandhya.

Every Manvantara consists of 71 Maha Yugas, which is why one Kalpa equals 1,000 Maha Yugas (71 × 14 + 15 Sandhyas).

A Maha Yuga consists of four Yugas—Satya, Treta, Dvapar and Kali—amounting to 43,200 divine years or 4,320,000 human years.

Based on these calculations:

• 1 Kalpa = 4.32 billion years

• 1 Maha Kalpa = 311 trillion years

This represents the total lifespan of the universe according to Vedic cosmology.

But where are we in this cosmic cycle?And how many years have already passed since the universe came into existence?

According to Vedic cosmology, we are in the Kali Yuga of the 28th Maha Yuga of the 7th Manvantara (ruled by Vaivasvata Manu), during the 1st Ahoratra (day) of the 51st year of Brahma's life.

This means that the universe has already existed for over 155 trillion years.We are nearly halfway through the life of the universe and still 155 trillion years away from the next Maha Pralaya (final dissolution).

This demonstrates the remarkable depth of Vedic cosmology. When compared with modern scientific understanding – which aligns with parts of it – it suggests that Vedic thought had grasped the scale of cosmic time far earlier.

According to the Big Bang Theory in modern science, the universe began 13.8 billion years ago and has been expanding ever since. Modern science views this expansion as linear and predicts that it will eventually end in the “Big Freeze” or heat death.

Only in the late 20th and early 21st centuries did scientific bodies like NASA and ESA acknowledge that the end of the universe lies trillions of years ahead — a timeframe consistent with some aspects of Vedic thought.

While both Vedic cosmology and modern science agree that the universe has a lifespan extending into trillions of years, their timelines diverge widely. Vedic texts place the universe’s age at around 155 trillion years already passed, nearly 12,000 times more than scientific estimates.

Interestingly, modern science estimates the age of Earth at 4.54 billion years, which is strikingly close to one Kalpa (4.32 billion years) — the “day” of Brahma.

This deep understanding of the universe — its creation, sustenance and dissolution — found in Sanatan Dharma’s Vedic cosmology has endured for millennia. Although often labelled as mythology, the principles it contains reflect a profound and expansive view of cosmic time.

The concept of the Maha Kalpa, spanning 311 trillion years, stands as a testament to a rich intellectual and spiritual heritage, offering a cosmic perspective that continues to inform and inspire global thought on the nature of time and existence.

(The writer is Founder and CEO of Beehive Capital Advisors Private Limited. Views personal.)