Answer

In Jain cosmology, during the first three ārās of the present Avasarpiṇī cycle, human life-span was extremely long compared to today.

• 1st Ārā – Suṣamā-suṣamā: maximum life-span was about 3 palyopama
• 2nd Ārā – Suṣamā: maximum life-span was about 2 palyopama
• 3rd Ārā – Suṣamā-duṣamā: maximum life-span gradually decreased, and by the end of this ārā it came down to about 1 crore pūrva

Explanation

In Jain Dharma, time moves in cycles. The descending half-cycle is called Avasarpiṇī, in which happiness, strength, height, life-span, and spiritual capacity gradually decline.

The first three ārās are considered much happier and more prosperous than the present age:

• 1st Ārā: People lived in complete happiness, without sorrow or struggle.
• 2nd Ārā: Happiness was still abundant, but slightly less than the first ārā.
• 3rd Ārā: Happiness and lifespan continued to reduce gradually. Toward the end of this ārā, the conditions became closer to the era in which the first Tīrthankar, Bhagwan Rishabhdev, appeared.

Spiritual Understanding

These vast life-spans are not meant only as numbers. They show the Jain view that worldly conditions constantly rise and fall with time. Even very long life and great happiness are still temporary within saṃsāra.

Takeaway

According to Jain tradition, the average human life-span in the first three ārās of Avasarpiṇī was extraordinarily long, measured in palyopama and pūrva, and it kept decreasing from the 1st ārā to the 3rd ārā.