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How long is a year? and a Kalp?

--Example from Bhaagvat Puraan

Hari Malla
In the MBH and the Geetaa there used to be five year Yug of Vedaang Jyotish. This is the explanation given by Bheeshm of the completion of 13 years of the exile of the Paandav in the Viraat Parv, includes the mention of the 5-year Yug.

Geetaa says 1,000 Yug make the day of Brahmaa and also the same period of night of Brahmaa (Geetaa, 8/17). The day of Brahmaa is said to be one Kalp. From this we know the 5-year Yug of Vedaang Jyotish (as explained by Bheeshm) make 5,000 years for one Kalp. So please support this new concept of Sankrantic Manvantar of 2150 years and also the advent of the new Saavarni Manvantar from the currently used Vaivaswat Manvatar. I remember your quote of Matsya Puraan and certain time span which you had mentioned.

Gopal Goel
In Viraat Parv, 52/3-4, it is clear that one Yug of 5 Samvatsar was also, I repeat was also, in use in MBH times. This Yug system also clearly mentioned in Vishnu Puraan. This is the reason that Bheeshm had said in verse 4 that Paandav had completed more than 13 years and had exceeded the period by 5 months and 12 days. This clearly shows though Yug of 5 years was not popularly followed and Paandav were either guided by Solar-Lunar Samvatsar or Shaka type solar calendar in those days. Otherwise they would not have exceeded 5 months and 13 days according to 5-year Yug cycle.

Further, there was another problem. Some authorities of that era used to start a new cycle of 5-year Yug system after completing 19 solar years , by dropping last Samvatsar out of group of four 5-year Yug. This brings both Solar and lunar Tithi in harmony every 19 years. It is therefore clear that all this was too confusing and thus Indian sages devised Saka type sidereal solar calendar and Luni-solar calendar of Samvatsar type calendar which are still in popular use and were constructed totally on scientific basis. These calendars are in use over last 2500 years.

Now the Astrologers in India are very comfortable with these three calendars :
1. Gregorian calendar - This meets our civil requirements. It would be much better if this calendar commences on the day of occurrence of VE POINT DAY every year.
2 India's Luni-solar calendar is totally scientific and need no reform
3 Sidereal Solar Shak calender is also on scientific lines.

As regards commencement of Shak and Samvatsar calendars the following may be kept in view:
1. Taittireeya Sanhitaa 7.4.8 says : "Chaitra Full Moon is the mouth of the Samvatsar.”
Panchaang-makers in India are following this dictum of the Sanhitaa till date.
2. Varaah Mihir in "SS" clearly placed star Chitraa (SPICA16) in the middle of Nakshtra Chitraa
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"Panch Samvatsar mayam Yugam" (Vedaang Jyotish) - It has the following 4 meanings -

(1) Yug is of 5 years (Samvatsar = solar year-Tropical? )
(2) Yug is of 19 years in which 5 years are of Samvatsar type and remaining 14 years are of 4 other types - Parivatsar, Idvatsar, Idaavatsar, Anuvatsar.
(3) Yug is determined by 5 types of Vatsar - Divya, Baarhaspatya, Saptarshi, Dhruv, Ayanaabd.
(4) Yug is 5 or 12 divisions of Barhaspatya cycle of 60 years.