Jain Journal 1990 10

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 45

OCTOBER, 1990
samaya or kālāņu (atom of time). 68 Since there are asamkhyāta spacepoints in cosmos the time taken by a material monad to transverse whole cosmos would be asamkhyāta kālāņu. Avali, a minimum measure of time-interval, is a time taken for paramāņu to transverse whole cosmos (lokākāśa) hence it has a cardinality of asamkhyāta number.
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Once minimum unit of time interval and spatial distance is founded multiples of it would give numerbale (samkhyāta) measures of events in time and space. With minimum units of temporal and spatial expanse as elements, sets of asamkhyāta and ananta cardinality respectively can also be made. With them duration of existence and size of any entity (or paryaya) in cosmos can be measured. The Jains used these measures extensively to draw our description of entities in geological (adholoka), geographical (tiryakloka) and astronomical (urdhvaloka) realm as well as measures for use in trade and statecraft.
Another tenet of Jain theory of measurement was that there are three fundamental standards of measurement.69 These are: (a) dravya pramāṇa-standard of measure of density; (b) kṣetra pramāṇa-standard of measure of space; and (c) kāla pramāṇa-standard of measure of time. These three standards have been formulated on the basis of three infinitesimals. (b) and (c) are understandable as they deal with measure of space and time and hence infinitesimal of space and time. It is dravya pramāna which stands out for explanation. It needs to be noted that in Jain cosmos pudgala and jiva provide density to the world. In other words their elements exist superimposed on each other. At a particular space-point numberable, innumerable or infinite material monads and souls can stay. Hence the denseness in the real world is entirely independent of space and time. Dravya pramāņa includes measures of weights and even number specially for qualifying number of souls of various classes.
In fact this definition of atom of time was source of confusion in Jain literature. It is for this reason that many Jain thinkers call this definition a pragmatic (vyavaharika) definition. Pancastikaya [gatha 26]. This is also related to early Jain controversy whether time is an independent dravya or not. Tatvarthasutra [5.38]. For detailed debate on it, see Dravyanuyogatarkana [10.14-19] and commentary on it. This controversy can also be related to confusion in characterising asamkhyata as finite number.
"There are actually four. The fourth one, bhava pramana, is just knowledge of the first three so it serves no practical purpose in theory of measurement. Information on standards of measurement is drawn from Anuyogadvarasutra [313-367].