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Jaina Conception of Space and Time
argument adduced by Akalanka against this theory is that an activity cannot limit or measure another activiiy. Only persistent or perdurable things can measure another such things. But activity being momentary how can it measure another such activity ? A thing which itself is momentary can never measure another (momentary) thing.23
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4. Time Substance according to Digambaras
According to the Digambara thinkers, time is atomic. There are innumerable time-atoms. Each time-atom occupies one spacepoint of the cosmic space. Thus time-atoms are confined to cosmic space only. They are not present in the space beyond cosmos.24 They do not combine to form molecules as the material atoms do. Nor do they constitute one single whole as the spacepoints do. Thus they have no spatial extension (tiryak pracaya). Only those substances that have spatial extension are termed astikaya. Hence time is not counted among astikaya.25 Time-atoms go on assuming different modes all the while. All these modes are not measurable. The smallest measurable mode of a time-atom is termed 'samaya (instant) which is defined as the time taken by a material atom to traverse a unit of space by slow movement, 26 Each time-atom has infinite such modes. 27 Though these modes are not simultaneous, a time-atom being a substance pervades all of them. That is, these modes are not discrete, without any permanant substance underlying them. This is the reason why time-atoms are said to have temporal extension (ūrdhvapracaya). 28 Time -
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23 किञ्च, क्रिया क्रियान्तरस्य
परिच्छेदिका कालव्यपदेशभागित्यनुपपन्नमनवस्थानात् । स्थितो हि लोके प्रस्थादिः परिणामविशेषः व्रीह्मादेरवस्थितस्य परिच्छेदको दृष्टः । राजवार्तिक, पृ० ४८३
24 लोयायासपदेसे इक्केक्के जे द्विया हु इक्केक्का ।
रयणाणं रासीमिव ते कालाणू असंखदव्वाणि ॥ द्रव्यसंग्रह, गाथा २२ 25 सवार्थसिद्धि पृ० ३१२ | प्रवचनसारतत्त्वदीपिका २. ४९
26 अप्रदेश एव समयो.... एकैकमाकाशप्रदेशमभिव्याप्य तस्थुषः प्रदेशमात्रस्य परमाणोस्तदभिव्याप्तमेकमाकाशप्रदेशं मन्दगत्या व्यतिपतत एव वृत्तिः । तत्त्वदीपिका, प्रवचनसार -
गाथा २. ४६ । तत्र परमसूक्ष्मक्रियस्य सर्वजघन्यगतिपरिणतस्य परमाणोः स्वावगा - नक्षेत्र व्यतिक्रमकालः समय इत्युच्यते । तत्त्वार्थभाष्य, ४. १५
27 सोऽनन्तसमयः । तत्त्वार्थसूत्र, ५.४०
28 ऊर्ध्वप्रचयस्तु त्रिकोटिस्पर्शित्वेन सांशत्वाद् द्रव्यवृत्तेः सर्वद्रव्याणामनिवारित एव । ........ समयप्रचयः एव कालस्योर्ध्व प्रचयः । प्रवचनसारदीपिका, २. ४९
29 कालाणवो निष्क्रियाः । सर्वार्थसिद्धि पृ० ३१३
Sambodhi 6, 3-4
