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TIME:
The primary unit of time is called samaya (time-instant), which is defined as the time taken to traverse one space point (prade a) by a parmu at normal speed. It is most incomprehensible and indeterminable; the omniscient lord alone can know it and even they cannot express it as it is too short lived. Because of the distinguishing characteristics of time, it can be viewed both as a substance and mode. Time with respect to time instant is measured as follows.
1 Samaya
time-instant 1 valik 1 Swasochaw sa (inhale-exhale) pulse beat 1 Stoka 1 Lava 1 N lik 1 second 1 minute 1 Muh rata
Indian-hour Antarmuh rata
Inter-hour 1 ahor tras
day (day and night) 1 Pak a
Fortnight 1M sa
Month I solar month 1 Samvatsara
year 1 P rv ga 1 Prva
= Smallest unit of time. = innumerable time-instants = approx 4447 valik s = 7 pulse beats = 7 stokas = 38.5 lavas = 1.25 pulse beats = 78 pulse beats = 3773pr as 2N lik s 48 min. =<48 min. and>one time-instant = 30 Indian-hours = 15 days =2 Pak a =30.5 days = 12 months = 84, 00,000 years = 84, 00,000 P rvga
ga, c lik
etc which is
Prvais followed by units such as truit ga, tru ita, c lik each 84,00,000 times longer than the previous period.
For units of time like palya, s gara, addh s garopama and ascending-descending time cycle (utsarpi i and avasarpi i) please refer the books given in reference below. These are the units used in describing the life span of living beings in various realms. Here we briefly describe the following two units used in this text based on similes of pits and oceans.
•
Pit-measured-period (palyopama)
.
Palya is of three kinds, namely:
Vyah ra: Basis of other two. Nothing is measured by this.
Uddh ra: Oceans and continents are measured by this • Addh : Duration of time
Vyah ra: Three pits of the extant of one yojana (1*1*1) are dug. These are packed with the smallest ends of the wool of the rams from one to seven days old; the bits are further indivisible by scissors.
Uddh ra: Each bit is further divided into as many pieces as there are time-instants in innumerable kota-koti years. Imagine that the pits are filled with so many pieces of
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