In Jainism, Time (Kāl) is seen as eternal and cyclic, not straight or one‑way.

1. Time is a wheel – Kāl‑chakra

• Time has no beginning and no end.
• It keeps moving in an endless cycle, called Kāl‑chakra (wheel of time).

Each full cycle has two halves:

1. Utsarpiṇī (उत्सर्पिणी) – ascending half

- Happiness, strength, age, height, knowledge, and dharma keep increasing. - Life gradually becomes better and easier.

1. Avasarpiṇī (अवसर्पिणी) – descending half

- The same things keep decreasing. - Life gradually becomes more difficult, with more sorrow and less spiritual capacity.

2. Six periods (Ārā) in each half

Each half (Utsarpiṇī and Avasarpiṇī) is divided into six eras (ārā):

From best to worst:

1. Suṣama‑suṣamā – only happiness
2. Suṣamā – mostly happiness
3. Suṣama‑duṣamā – mixed, more happiness than sorrow
4. Duṣama‑suṣamā – mixed, more sorrow than happiness
5. Duṣamā – mostly sorrow
6. Duṣama‑duṣamā – only sorrow

According to Jain tradition, we are now in the 5th era (Duṣamā) of Avasarpiṇī in Bhārat Kṣetra – a difficult, sorrow‑dominant time where spiritual power is low.

3. Tirthankars and the time cycle

• In every half‑cycle, exactly 24 Tirthankars appear.
• In our present Avasarpiṇī, the 24th Tirthankar is Bhagwān Mahāvīr.
• After this half finishes, the wheel turns, Utsarpiṇī begins, and again 24 Tirthankars will appear in that ascending half.

4. Digambar & Shvetambar view

• Both traditions accept:

- Time is eternal and cyclic. - Two halves: Utsarpiṇī and Avasarpiṇī. - Six ārās in each half. - 24 Tirthankars in every half‑cycle.

• Differences, if any, are only in detailed numbers and dating, not in the main concept.

5. Practical lesson

Even though we are in a difficult era, Jain Dharma teaches:

• Keep practicing ahimsā, satya, aparigraha, brahmacharya, and self‑discipline.
• Use every moment of time for spiritual progress, because the soul’s path is not limited by outer ups and downs of the time cycle.

You can read a simple explanation of the Jain time cycle here