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_

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80 : SHRI MAHAVIRA JAINA VIDYALAYA GOLDEN JUBILEE VOLUME
cannot cook the rice; for that we need fire.75 (10) Some might even argue that 'Existence' (Sattā) itself can perform the function of time%3; and hence there is no need of positing an independent substance called Time. But this view is not sound. Minute imperceptible changes themselves constitute the nature of Existence'. So, how could it be viewed as an auxiliary cause of minute changes.76 (11) A theory is propounded by some that time is nothing but activity (kriya). Akalanka explains it as follows. Movement of an atom from one space point to the next space point is called an instant'. There is nothing like a minute Time over and above this movement to measure the span of this instant. The collection of these instantaneous activities is called āvalikā, the collection of these avalikās is called ucchvāsa and so on. There is no entity called Time. In our every day usage we say 'he sits as long as the cows are milked'. Here the usage of time' is based on the activities. When one activity is circumscribed or limited by another activity, to the latter is applied the term 'time'. Thus time is nothing but activity.77 Akalanka refutes this view in the following manner. He admits that the usages like he did it within a wink of an eye', 'he did it within a breath' are no doubt based on activities. But he points out that our application of the term 'time' to activities of 'winking', ' breathing' etc. could not be without any ground whatsoever. Take an example of our application of the term ' dandi' ('staff-bearer') to Devadatta. This application of the dandi' to Devadatta could not be baseless. Its basis is the relation obtaining between danda (staff) and Devadatta. Similarly, we should maintain that there is something like Time which, being in relation with activity, makes possible our application of the term ' time' to activity.78 Moreover,
75 यथा भाजनं तण्डुलानामधिकरणं न तु तदेव पचति, तेजसो हि स व्यापारः, तथाकाशमप्यादित्यगत्यादिवर्तनाया
मधिकरणं न तु तदेव निवर्तयति । कालस्य हि स व्यापारः। -Ibid., p.477. 76 कालानुगृहीतवर्तना हि सत्तेति ततोऽप्यन्येन कालेन भवितव्यम् । -Ibid., p. 477. 77 स्यान्मतम्-क्रियामात्रमेव काल: ।...सर्वोऽयं कालव्यवहारः क्रियाकृतः । क्रिया हि क्रियान्तरपरिच्छिन्ना अन्य
क्रियापरिच्छेदे वर्तमाना कालाख्या भवति । योऽपि समयो नाम भवद्भिरच्यते स परमाणुपरिवर्तनक्रियासमय एव कालसामानाधिकरण्यात् । न समयपरिमाणपरिच्छेदकोऽन्यः ततः सूक्ष्मतरः कश्चिदस्ति काल: । तत्समयक्रियाकलाप आवलिका, तत्प्रचय उच्छवास इत्यादि समयक्रियाकलापपरिच्छिन्ना आवलिका उच्छ्वासपरिच्छेदे वर्तमाना कालाख्या। एवमुत्तरत्रापि योज्यम् | लोकेऽपि तथैव गोदोहेन्धनपाकादिरन्योऽन्यपरिच्छेदे वर्तमान: कालाख्य इति क्रियैव काल
इति......। -Ibid. , p. 482. 78 सत्य क्रियाकृत एवायं व्यवहारः सर्वः-उच्छ्वासमात्रेण कृतं मुहूर्तेन कृतमिति, किन्तु समय उच्छ्वासो निश्वासो
मुहूर्त इति स्वसंज्ञाभिर्निरूदानां काल इत्यभिधानमकस्मान्न भवति । यथा देवदत्तसंशया निरूढे पिण्डे दण्ड्यभिधानमकस्मान्न भवति इति दण्डसम्बन्धसिद्धिः तथा कालसिद्धिरपि। -1bid., pp.482-483.