Question

According to the various Siddhantic schools, the discrepancy or difference between the 'Srishti' (Creation) and the 'Kalpa' (Epoch) is discussed in which context?

• A. Siddhantashiromani
• B. Suryasiddhante
• C. Grahalaghe
• D. Siddhantatattvaviveke

Hint:

The Surya Siddhanta is the "Divine" text. It accounts for the time God took to create the world before the clock of the planets started ticking.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
In Indian cosmic chronology, a 'Kalpa' begins at a specific moment. However, Siddhantas differ on whether planetary motion should be calculated from the exact start of the Kalpa or from the moment the actual "Creation" (Srishti) of planets and beings was completed.

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
The Surya Siddhanta explicitly mentions that a period of time passed between the start of the Kalpa and the actual beginning of planetary movement.
- According to the Surya Siddhanta, Brahma spent 17,064,000 years (the equivalent of 47,400 divine years or several Mahayugas) in the process of creation before the planets began their first revolutions from the first point of Aries.
- This "Srishti-Kala" (time of creation) must be subtracted from the total elapsed Kalpa time to find the correct number of elapsed years for Ahargana calculation.

Step 3: Comparison with other texts:
- Siddhanta Shiromani (Bhaskara II) and Aryabhatiya generally start calculations directly from the epoch without this specific subtraction, or they use different constants. The Surya Siddhanta is unique in its detailed philosophical and mathematical treatment of this 17-million-year creation lag.

Step 4: Final Answer:
The difference/adjustment between Srishti and Kalpa is a primary feature of the Suryasiddhanta.