In Jainism, time is divided into an endless cycle of upward (utsarpini) and downward (avasarpini) half-cycles, each consisting of six eras (aras).

The first ara is called Sukhama-sukhama (period of utmost happiness). Its duration is incredibly long—according to Jain scriptures, it lasts for 400 trillion sāgaropamas.

• 1 sāgaropama is an extremely large unit of time, described as the time it would take to empty a huge tank containing 1 cubic yojana of water if a single drop is removed every hundred years. The actual calculation is symbolic of an unimaginably long duration.

Therefore, the first ara lasts 400 trillion sāgaropamas. This period is characterized by absolute happiness and no suffering, and human beings during this time have immense physical and spiritual capacities.