Purva / Purvas
Literal Meaning
An immense unit of cosmic time
Etymology & Sanskrit Root
Sanskrit 'purva', literally 'former' or 'prior': one of the largest units of time in Jain cosmology, itself defined as a vast number of years multiplied by other large units.
Spiritual Insight & Context
Jain tradition holds that lifespans measured in lakhs or crores of purvas belonged only to the earliest ages of the world, when human bodies, virtue, and happiness were all far greater than in the present declining era.