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time. The measurable time ranges from the minutest Samaya' to the largest measurable unit Pūrvakoti. The immeasurable time can only be described in terms of guesses and ranges from the Palyopama (Pit-measure) and the Sāgaropama (Sea-measure) through its cyclic measures in terms of ascendant time-phase (Utsarpiņi Kāla) and the descendant time-phase (Avasarpini Kāla), Time-cycle (Kala-cakra) to the ultimate concept of timemeasure called Pudgala-parāvartana. The aim is to familiarise the readers with the intricacies of time that waits for none.
Time as a Material Constituent of The Universe -
As per the current available classification, the time is included amongst the fundamental substances amongst intangible inanimate types of matter. However, there has been some discussion on the issue of including time amongst material substances. The concept of Pañcāstikāyathat excludes kāla from its reckoning and its mention as a non-astikāya forces us to believe that its inclusion amongst fundamental inanimate material substances could have been an afterthought.
The advocates of rejecting the independent matter status of kāla treat it only as a mode of jīva and pudgala. Another view, point that treats it as an independent universal material entity says that just as the motion and position have Dharmāstikāya and Adharmāstikāya as causatory universal entities, the change must also have a causatory universal entity. That causatory universal entity can be time only. Hence, time' is also an independent universal matter.
The Passage of Time -
Jaina canons mention two types of time. 1. The practical time (Vyavahāra Kāla), which can be measured in terms of numerable units such as Samaya to Pūrvakoti, etc. or which can be measured in terms of innumerable units such as Palyopama 234 : JAINISM: THE CREED FOR ALL TIMES
