Answer

In Jain Dharma, 1 Ārā means one time-period of the Avasarpiṇī or Utsarpiṇī cycle.

There are 6 Ārās in each half-cycle of time. The duration of each Ārā is not the same.

• 1st Ārā: 4 Koḍākoḍī Sāgaropama
• 2nd Ārā: 3 Koḍākoḍī Sāgaropama
• 3rd Ārā: 2 Koḍākoḍī Sāgaropama
• 4th Ārā: 1 Koḍākoḍī Sāgaropama minus 42,000 years
• 5th Ārā: 21,000 years
• 6th Ārā: 21,000 years

Explanation

In Jain cosmology, time moves in endless cycles:

• Utsarpiṇī — ascending time cycle
• Avasarpiṇī — descending time cycle

Each of these has 6 Ārās, so one full time cycle has 12 Ārās.

We are currently in the 5th Ārā of Avasarpiṇī, called Duṣamā Ārā. Its total duration is traditionally understood as 21,000 years.

Spiritual Understanding

The Ārās show how happiness, lifespan, physical strength, and spiritual capacity rise or decline over vast periods of time. In the 5th Ārā, liberation is not attained from this Bharat Kshetra, but Dharma, vows, self-discipline, and spiritual progress are still very important.

Takeaway

The time span of 1 Ārā depends on which Ārā it is. Some are unimaginably long, measured in Sāgaropama, while the 5th and 6th Ārās are 21,000 years each.