________________
NOTES
411
origination and annihilation.
Time is a substance, but not an asti-kaya, i.e. "something extensivelyexistent,” or “something that, itself permanent like the atom, builds up by aggregation the transitory objects.” Time is a substance, because it is that which is common to the successive moments, which is their identity (anvaya); and since in the moments changing substances possess origination, annihilation and permanence, the moments themselves, and
indirectly time, may be said to possess existence and its three aspects. 81 In the commentary the singular pradesha is often given in the meaning
of pradeshatva, i.e. “possession of one or more pradeshas”. 82 In the Tatparya-vrtti nadum is explained as jnatum sakyate, and padesha
mettam is taken as beginning the main clause. 83 tattvatah, Tatparya-vrtti: padarthatah, considered as an object. 84 We can distinguish in the commentary the following parts:
A. Thesis. Existence or occurrence without pradesha cannot belong to time, and still less can time be occurrence itself.
[Note: in Jainism a substance is in a certain sense identical with its qualities; existence is considered as a quality of things; thus in general a substance is identical with its) existence.)
B. First part of the argumentation. Time cannot be the occurrence itself, for the occurrence must rest on something which possesses the occurrence. And if we suppose that time were identical with the occurrence, then oneness of origination, annihilation, and permanence would be impossible.
C. Argument for the conclusion, drawn at the end of B. If the unity of originations and annihilation, with reference to a substance, were to consist in an uninterrupted series of origination and annihilation, without something in its modifications subject to these aspects, then the Buddhistic theory of momentariness, kshana-bhanga-horrible dictu! would hold true. Time, therefore, consists of (one or more) pradeshas.
D. Second part of the argumentation. Should time consist of many pradeshas, then (as we must read between the lines) the only supposition, allowed, would be that it consists of an innumerable number of pradeshas, equal to the space of the universe. But this is excluded, because the moment could not come into existence.
E. Final conclusion (or the return to thesis). Time consists of one pradesha and, as such, according to the gatha it possesses existence. Had
it not possessed even one pradesha, it would not have existed. 85 Read ana-prana-prano in agreement with the Prakrit text. The pranas
are given in the karman-classification of Jainism as bala or virya (the fifth
