In Jain Dharma, “ascending time cycle” (Utsarpini) and “descending time cycle” (Avasarpini) are not personal phases. They are cosmic eras of the universe. A person “knows” the current cycle by the characteristics of the world described in the scriptures (śāstra-pramāṇa), not by personal feelings or fortune.

How to know which cycle we are in

• First identify the region of the universe. For us, in Bhārat Kṣetra (our human world), the scriptures say we are in Avasarpini (the descending half).
• In Avasarpini, conditions gradually worsen: lifespan, bodily strength, moral-spiritual conduct, and overall happiness decline.
• Each half-cycle has six eras (ārās). In Bhārat Kṣetra we are presently in the 5th āra (Duṣamā), marked by:

- Short lifespans and increasing sorrow. - Great difficulty in spiritual practice. - No Tīrthaṅkaras appearing here now. - Decline in dharma compared to earlier eras.

• By these signs, our present matches the 5th āra of the descending cycle.

Important regional note

• In Mahāvideha Kṣetra, time stands in the 4th āra (Duṣamā-Suṣamā) and Tīrthaṅkaras are present there even now. This is a different region of the universe, not our current land.

Digambar and Śvetāmbara notes

• Both traditions agree that in Bhārat Kṣetra we are in Avasarpini and, within it, the 5th āra. They differ on some historical dates (like the exact date of Bhagwān Mahāvīra’s nirvāṇa), but this does not change the current āra/cycle identification.

For a simple overview of the Jain time cycle and the present era, see:

• Understanding Jain Kālachakra (Time Cycle)
• Which āra are we in?