Nature of Time

Author(s): Nagin J Shah
Publisher: Z_Mahavir_Jain_Vidyalay_Suvarna_Mahotsav_Granth_Part_1_012002.pdf and Mahavir_Jain_Vidyalay_Suvarna_

Page 17

NATURE OF TIME : 79
ciple. Without it temporal order could not be accounted for. Were it not an independent substance, all serial effects would take place simultaneously and thus there would ensue chaos instead of order.70 (5) Without Time substance, how can we have particular divisions of Time? Division implies something of which they are the division.71 (6) Simple uncompounded word 'time' presupposes an independent entity, namely, Time.72 (7) Activities like cooking etc. are conventionally referred to as 'cooking time' etc. But in this traditional usage of 'cooking time' and so on, the name of time is superimposed on activity. The term 'time' really signifies the existence of real time which is the basis of this conventional time.73 (8) Those who maintain that time is nothing but movement of the sun and other luminaries are not right. Mere movements of the sun and stars could not account for the changes in substances. Even in regard to movement we say 'it is past', 'it is present', it is future'. Movements require the assistance of Time. Without it they are impossible. Minute changes constituting movements could not be explained if Time were not posited as an independent real substance.74 (9) It is untenable to maintain that Space (akāśa) can very well perform the function assigned to time. In other words, to reject time as an independent substance we cannot legitimately maintain that Space serves as an auxiliary cause of the minute changes (vartană) in the five substances. Space merely contains or gives room to the substance. It cannot be a causal condition of the minute changes in other substances, For instance, a pot can at the most support or contain the rice but it
70 असति हि नियामकद्रव्ये किसलय-कलिका-फलप्रसवपरिणतयः सहकारतरोर्युगपदाविर्भवेयुः, क्रमभाविनी चैषां
फिसलयादिपरिणतिरुपलभ्यते, ततः शक्यमनुमातुम्-यदनुरोधादेताः कार्यव्यक्तयस्तारतम्येनात्मातिशयमासादयन्ति
#577 sfars: --Siddhasenagani-Țikā on Tattvārthasūtra. IV. 15. 71 75 aterat al : 4164:
The o tarazte R HIFIERI: Ef 11 -Lokaprakāśa, XXVIII. 21. 72 यच्छुद्धपदवाच्यं तत् सद् इत्यनुमितेरपि ।
403 toj carefa letei a farda il-Ibid., XXVIII. 20. 73 समयादीनां क्रियाविशेषाणां समयादिभिर्निर्वय॑मानानां च पाकादीनां समयः पाकः' इत्येवमादि स्वसंशारूढिसद्भावेऽपि 'समयः काल:' ओदनपाकः कालः' इति अध्यारोप्यमाण: कालव्यपदेशस्तव्यपदेशनिमित्तस्य कालस्यास्तित्वं
far I Sarvärthasiddhi, p. 292. 74 स्यादेतत्-आदित्यगतिनिमित्ता द्रव्याणां वर्तनेति; तन्न; किं कारणम् ? तद्गतावपि तत्सद्भावात् । सवितुरपि व्रज्यायां भूतादिव्यवहारविषयभूतार्या क्रियेत्येवं रूढायां वर्तनादर्शनात् तद्धेतुनाऽन्येन कालेन भवितव्यम् ।
- Rājavārtika (Ed. Pt. Mahendrakumar), p. 477.