My answer to How were dates calculated, and kept, in ancient India before the widespread awareness of Christianity?
Answer by Ram Narayan:
Firstly, the presumption that the moment a scholarly man with a mission of spreading love and peace descended upon the world, people just said "Hey, let's reckon time based on the time before and after his birth!", is fallacious.
Jerusalem being predominantly Jewish, people used the same Hebrew calendar the Jews do to this day. Other surrounding regions used local calendars like the Egyptian or the Roman. The reign of the Roman king Diocletus who persecuted Christians was notable for the introduction of the Era of the Martyrs (denoting the years since anti Christian oppression started under him). And it was NOT until 525 AD that Dionysius decided he didn't want to date years in the name of a man who had presecuted Christians, and had the brainwave to date the present year relative to the "Incarnation of Our Lord Jesus Christ". It was also not until AD 900 that even Christian lands adopted this calendar fully and formally.
Christianity came to India at about AD 52 with the believed arrivals of St. Thomas and Bartholomew in India's Southern and Western coasts respectively. More priests, churches and communities followed in the next couple of centuries, meaning that Christianity gained enough of a foothold in India long before the Christian AD calendar era was even invented!
Ok so what were Indians using? While local kingdoms dated their years and coins based on the regnal year of the reigning king (which was also the basis for the 15-year agricultural tax cycles and 10-year censuses), the Brahmins and astrologers didn't bother with such trifles.
Theirs, was a truly grand scale. It is a system we use, to this day, while initiating any religious activity. The invocation begins thus (using today's date (30 Sep 2015):
Shubhe shobana muhurthe, Sri MahaVishnor Aagnaaya Pravarthamanasya,
Aadya Bramhane, Dwiteeya Parardhe, Sri Swetha Varaaha Kalpe, Vaivaswatha Manvanthare, Kaliyuge, Kali Prathama Charane, Bauddhavathare, Salivaahanasakhe, Jambudweepe, Meror Dakshina bhage, Bhaaratavarshe, Bharatha Khande, Godavari Dakshina theere, Sobhana Gruhe, Devata Sannidhau, Asmin Varthamane, Vyavahaarike, Chaandramanena, Sri Virodhi Nama Sanvastare, Uttarayane, Greeshma Ruthau, Jyesta Maase, Sukla Pakshe, Panchami Thithau, Bruhaspathi Vaasare, Pushyami Nakshatre, Dhruva Yoge, Baalava Karane, evam guna visheshana visistayaam, subha thithau, Srimaan Aatreya Archananasa Syavaasya Pravaranvita, Aatreya Gothrothpanna, Bhargavasarma Namadheyasya, Mama Gyana
Bhakthi Vairaagya prapthyartham, Sri Bharathee Ramana Mukhya Praananthargatha Sri Lakshmi Narayana Preethyartham, Bhagavat preranaya prapta Vidya anusaarena Yatha Shakthi, Sri Lakshmi Narayanasya Dhyanaavaahanadi shodasa upachaara poojam
karishye!
Time Element: (Reckoning of time with reference to Lord Brahma)
Aadya Bramhane Dwiteeya Parardhe:
Fifty years of the 100-year life time of Lord Brahma is over and we are in the 2nd half called Dwiteeya Parardhe, of the first day in the 51st 360-day year of Lord Brahma (50 years of Lord Brahma is equal to 155.52 trillion human years)
The Vedic concept is that over the cycle of one Maha kalpa (around 311 trillion years) the universe expands, and then starts contracting over exactly the same cycle. We have reached exactly half the expansion phase
Sri Shweta Varaaha Kalpe
That means we are in the first day (only day) called Swetha Varaha Kalpa in the 51st year of Lord Brahma. One Kalpa is equal to 4,320,000,000 years.
Vaivaswatha Manvanthare
In Swetha Varaha Kalpa (first day of Lord Brahma) after passing through 6 Manvantharas (out of 14 we are currently in the 7th Manvanthara called Vaivaswatha Manvanthara, each of which is around 306,720,000 years long).
In other words, at the completion of this Manvantara, it will be night on Brahma's 51st New Year's Day.
Astavinshatitame Kaliyuge – Kali Prathama Charane
In the current Manvanthara (Vaivasvatha) we have passed through 27 Maha Yugas out of 71 and we are currently in the 28th Maha Yuga. In this 28th Maha Yuga after passing through Krita, Thretha and Dwapara Yugas we are currently in the Kaliyuga in its first quarter after passing through 5117 years out of a grand total of 4,320,000 years in this maha Yuga
Bauddhavathare: In the time when Lord Vishnu has taken birth as Buddha (and that's NOTHING to do with the man in whose name we have a whole religion establised, that was a different chap)
Geographical-Element
Jambudweepe: Out of the seven Dweepas in this Universe we are in the
Jambudweepa (island) on the Earth (Bhumandala) surrounded by the Sea (Lavana Samudra)
Meror Dakshina bhage (parsve) – To the south of mountain called Meru Parvatha which is in the centre of Jambu Dweepa.
Bhaaratavarshe: There are nine Varshas in this Universe out of which we are in the Bhaarathavarsha which is in the southern region of Meru Parvatha.
Bharathakhande: In the land ruled by King Bharatha – Asethu Himachala Paryantham (the present India).
Godavari Dakshina theere: To the south of river Godavari (Depending on the location this may change)
Mama Swagruhe (own house) or Sobhana Gruhe (staying in rented house) – This may change depending on the place where one is performing the karma.
Devata Sannidhau: In the presence of God dwelling in my house.
Current Day Element (Description of the day)
Asmin Vartamanena: At the present time
Vyavahaarike – Chandraamanena: As per the present calendar that is in vogue.
Manmatha Samvastare: There are sixty years as per the Lunar Calendar which gets repeated cyclically starting from Prabhava and ending with Akshaya. We are in Manmatha right now
Aayane: The year is divided into two based on the transit of Sun into Makara raasi called Uttarayana (Summer Solstice around Jan 15) and Karkataka raasi called Dakshinayana (Winter Solstice around Dec 15).
Ruthau: The year is divided into six bi-monthly seasons starting from Vasantha followed by Greeshma, Varsha, Sharad, Hemantha, and Sisira
Maase: Each season/ruthau comprises of two months which are named after the star falling on the full Moon day of the month as per Lunar Calendar starting from Chaitra and ending with Phalguna. As per solar calendar it is referred as per the transit of Sun into each Zodiac Raasi starting from Mesha (Aries) and ending with Meena (Pisces)
Pakshe: Each month (Masa) is again divided into two fortnights based on the Moon’s position (waxing Moon /waning Moon) called as Sukla Paksha (starting from Prathama to Pournima) and Krishna/Bahula Paksha (starting from Prathama to Amavasya)
Thithau: Each paksha comprises of 15 thithis (days) out of which 14 thithis get repeated in both the pakshas and the 15th one is either Pournima (full moon) or Amavasya (new moon).
Vaasare: There are seven days in a week starting from Sunday which gets repeated cyclically.
Nakshatre: There are twenty seven (27) stars in the almanac which are placed in 12 raashis of the zodiac. These stars get cyclically repeated starting from Aswini and ending with Revathi.
Yoge: There are 27 yogas in the almanac starting from Vishkumbha and ending with Vaidruthi. These yogas also get repeated cyclically.
Karane: There are eleven (11) Karanas out of which seven gets repeated and four occurs on specific days of Sukla Prathama, (Kimsthugna), Bahula Chaturdasi (Sakuni), and Amavasya (Chatushpath, Nagava)
In practice the names of Yoga and Karana are not spelled out. Instead it is just mentioned as Shubha Yoge, Shubha Karane. Some mention it as Vishnu Yoge and Vishnu Karane.
Quite extensive and long yes, but this is the fool proof way of measuring time, and happens to match with modern astronomical devices that have estimated the time since the last Big Bang! It is also absolute in the sense it need not be tied to any particular region, country or person, and is simply a record of time elapsed since time started, period.
