1 Kalpa (4.3 Billion Years)of Brahma matches the age of earth approx. which is 4.54 Billion Years. But in the 2nd Kalpa or the night of Brahma (after 4.3 Billion Years), Brahma sleeps and there is total annihilation. So in that case, after this age of earth, the earth should be totally destroyed again? But we are all still alive? Why so?
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Possible duplicate of this question: hinduism.stackexchange.com/q/4018/36– Keshav Srinivasan ♦Mar 12, 2015 at 1:46
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By the way, you shouldn't say Kalpa of Brahma. A Kalpa is a period of time which is one day for Brahma. So you should either just say Kalpa or you should say day of Brahma. Also, the night of Brahma isn't called a second Kalpa, it's called a Pralaya.– Keshav Srinivasan ♦Mar 12, 2015 at 1:48
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ok..so kalpa is 4.3 billion years and then there is pralaya.. But we are still alive? The earth hasn't been destroyed? Why so?– user3750229Mar 12, 2015 at 1:53
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I was just commenting on terminology, not on your question itself. But if you want my opinion on your question itself, it's always seemed to me that the calculation of the length of Kalpas must be flawed in some way. Perhaps there are periods between Yugas and Manvantaras unaccounted for in the calculations, for instance. The reason I suspect this is that Kalpas and Pralayas don't have to do with just creation and destruction of the Earth, they have to do with the creation and destruction of the entire three worlds: hinduism.stackexchange.com/a/2876/36– Keshav Srinivasan ♦Mar 12, 2015 at 2:39
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The three worlds consist of Bhuloka (the entire physical universe) along with Devaloka and Asuraloka. So that means that the present Kalpa would have had to start all the way at the Big Bang, not at the formation of the planet Earth. So it seems to me that the actual length of a Kalpa would have to be about 30 billion years, and yet conventional calculations give us only 4.3 billion years. So there seems to be a snag somewhere.– Keshav Srinivasan ♦Mar 12, 2015 at 2:44
1 Answer
Because Time is cyclic in nature as per Hinduism. Creation, preservation and destruction is happenning since eternity.
चतुर्-युग-सहस्रं तु ब्रह्मणो दिनम् उच्यते स कल्पो यत्र मनवश्च तुर्दश विशाम्-पते||
One thousand cycles of four ages constitute a single day of Brahmā, known as a kalpa. In that period, O King, fourteen Manus come and go.
So, 1 kalpa is 1000* 12,000* 360 = 4.32 billion years as said by you. After pralaya, Three worlds (Swarga, Earth and Patala) are again created by Brahma (which is next day for Lord Brahma).
Srimad Bhagavatam 3.11.23 says
निशावसान आरब्धो लोक-कल्पो ’नुवर्तते यावद् दिनं भगवतो मनून् भुञ्जंश् चतुर्-दश||
After the end of Brahmā’s night, the creation of the three worlds begins again in the daytime of Brahmā, and they continue to exist through the life durations of fourteen consecutive Manus, or fathers of mankind.
Same is the case with Mahapralaya. So, time is cyclic in nature with no beginning.