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The Jaina world of Non-living
apparent time is said to have infinite Samayas units. (The value of Samayaunitis not found in scriptures. However, Jain has shown the smallest time unit, i.e. Samaya to have an approximate value of 10 *** - 10 * Sec. The current science goes upto 10 ? Sec. at present. Thus, the Jaina Samaya unit of time is comparatively very small). 2. Alternatively, this aphorism is intended to determine the extent of absolute time. Though the absolute time-grain or time-atom may be one, but it has infinite modes for assisting changes in realities. It is because of this that a single absolute time-atom is figuratively said to be infinite.
The Samaya unit of time is the smallest (and finest) extent of time (taken by one atom during its movement from one spacepoint to its immediate spacepoint). The different multitudes of Samaya units of time are defined as Avalika etc. in scriptures, Supplementary Notes (5.39-5.40) 1. The commentary deals with the following points : (a) Time is also an additional reality besides the five already mentioned because it is also characterised by all the differentia of reality like space etc. (b) It is permanent because of its self-based persistence in its own nature of maintaing continuity through the attribute of a-heavy-alightness. It is originating-cum-destroying in terms of apparent time units represented by different modes of things. It has attributes of general and particular category. (C) Its existential proof has already been mentioned in 5.22 as in the case of other realities. (d) The reality of time has two varieties- absolute and apparent. The absolute time exists in the form of innumerable fine time grains (or quantas) on each spacepoint of universe space. The apparent time has infinite Samaya units extending over past, present and future. The present time has a duration of one Samaya only. The absolute time may also be called infinite figuratively because it is the cause of continuity in the infinite mode of entities. (e) The Samaya, Avalika etc. are the apparent time units in use.
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