Ek kalp Jain dharma me samay ka bahut lamba avadhi hai. Ye poore brahmand ke srishti, sthiti, vinash aur punarjanam ki ek bade chakkar ko darshata hai.

• Kalp do mukhya bhagon me batata hai: Utsarpini (upar aane wala, yani samay ka badhna) aur Avsarpini (neeche girna, yani samay ka ghatna). In dono ke andar chhah-chhah yug ya avastha hoti hain.
• Har yug me manav jeevan ki aayu, dharm ki sthiti, aur samajik-naitik paristhiti badalte hain. Kabhi dharm aur achhe karmon ki vriddhi hoti hai, to kabhi unki kami.
• Is kalp ke dauran brahmand ki rachna, sthapna, vinash aur punarnirmaan ki chakkar chalti rehti hai. Ant me pralaya (destruction) ke baad naya kalp shuru ho jata hai.

Khaaskar dharm me kalp ki samajh yeh hai ki sabhi tattvon ki sthiti lambi avadhi ke dauran badalti rehti hai, aur dharmic jeevan ki pravaah aage badhta ya rukta hai. Digambar aur Svetambar dono dhaarmik drishtikon me is kalp ki bunyadi soch ko samaan maante hain; bas vividh vyakhyaon me kuch shabdon ya yugon ke naamo me thodi bhinnata mil sakti hai.

Agar aap chahen to main is vishay par adhik saral-tareeke se yugon ke naamo ke saath ek chota diagram ya misal ke roop me samjha sakta hoon.