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Jaina Philosophy and Religion
According to this view, parināma, etc., which are enumerated after vartanā in the above-mentioned aphorism of the Tattvärthasūtra are nothing but special forms of vartanā itself. So they can easily be included in vartanā. Yet they are separately mentioned in the aphorism. Why? It is because the author wants to show that there are two types of time-real time and conventional time. Real time is of the form of vartanā, while conventional time is of the form of pariņāma, kriyā, paratvāparatva. Again, 'samaya', 'āvalikā', etc., which are used in our everyday dealings and arise depending upon the movements of the sun, etc., are also forms of conventional time.
This view of atomic time substance is found in the Digambara works. It is not acceptable to the Svetāmbara thinkers. But Ācārya Hemacandra, an eminent Svetāmbara master, accepts this view. In his Yogaśāstra, he writes:
lokākāśapradeśasthā bhinnāḥ kālāņavas tu ye / bhāvānāṁ parivartāya mukhyaḥ kālaḥ sa ucyate //52// jyotiḥśāstre yasya mānam ucyate samayādikam/ sa vyāvahārikaḥ kālaḥ kālavedibhir abhimataḥ //53// The meaning of the verses is: Time-atoms are present on different space-points of cosmic space. They serve as an auxiliary cause in the production of changes in substances. They are real time. And samaya, avalikā, etc. whose measures are given in Astronomy are forms of conventional time.
Regarding these differences of opinion, Pt. Śrī Sukhlälji, an erudite and eminent scholar, thinks that from the definitive standpoint the view which regards time as nothing but modes of substances seems to be logically sound and essentially right. Even in cosmic space outside human region the states or modes like newness, oldness do arise in substances, but it is maintained that those states or modes do not require time substance as an auxiliary cause for their production. Similarly, we can do without the conception of the independent time substance even in the human region. Thus it is obvious that the view of the independent time substance is based simply on worldly convention. And reflecting on the atomic nature of time substance, we feel that if each and every material atom is viewed as time-atom, then there is no need of positing an independent atomic time substance. Moreover, if an independent atomic time substance is accepted, then there arises a question as to why its molecular form is not accepted, time-atoms also should form molecules as the ma
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