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Nagin J. Shah
atoms are motionles 20 and hence each of them for ever occupy one parti. cular space-point in cosmic space. They are immobile entities arranged in close proximity to one another, each occupying onc space-point in cosmic space. They are eternal as they are atomic and do not form aggregates, 80 Origioation, persistence and decay in their case are explained through the origination, persistence and decay of other things.34 It is also said that they are eternal in the sense that they never give up their own nature and that the origination and decay in their case is due to the rhythmic rise and fall of their agurulaghuguna (untranslatable term, lit. means neitherheavy-nor-light-quality.)2 Ac. Kundakunda maintains that a time-atom undergoes origination, persistence and decay at one and the same moment.sg
Time-atoms are devoid of physical qualities like colour, etc. and in this sense only they are called amūrta.34 They are subtle and imperceptible,35 Though other substances require time as an auxiliary cause in the emergence of their modes, time-atoms do not require any other substance as an auxiliary cause in the production of their own modes,
Digambara thinkers recognize two types of Time - Absolute (mukhya) and Conventional (vyāvaharika). A time-atom with immeasurable minutest modes is Absolute time. In other words, a continuum of immeasurable
minutest modes of a time-atom is Absolute time.30 But modes of a time-atom, that are measured by motion of a material atom or a heavenly luminary constitute Conventional time. 37 Absolute time has no reference to motion of a material atom or a heavenly luminary whereas Conventional time has pointed reference to it. So, it is said that Absolute time does not require motion of material atom or a heavenly luminary for its manifestation. Absolute time is the auxiliary cause
30 कालाणूनां...कायत्वाभावः । अत एव विनाशहेतुत्वाभावाद् नित्याः । राजवार्तिक,
पृ० ४८२ 31 परप्रत्ययोत्पादविनाशसद्भावादनित्याः । राजवार्तिक, पृ० ४८२ 32 ध्रौव्यं तावत् कालस्य स्वप्रत्ययं स्वभावव्यवस्थानात् व्ययोदयौ परपत्ययौ, अगुरुलघुगुण
. वृद्धिहान्यपेक्षया स्वप्रत्ययौ च । सर्वार्थसिद्धि पृ० ३१२ -: 33. एगम्हि सन्ति समये संभवठि दणाससण्णिदा अहा ।
समयस्स सव्वकालं एस हि कालाणुसब्भावो ।। प्रवचनसार, २, ५१ 34 रूपादियोगाभावाद् अमूर्तः । राजवार्तिक, पृ० ४८२ 35 - राजवार्तिक, पृ० ५०१ 36 ......वर्तनालक्षणः कालाणुद्रव्यरूपो निश्चयकाल: । द्रव्यसंग्रहवृत्ति, गाथा २१ 37 तत्र व्यावहारिकः कालविभागः तत्कृतः समयावलिकादिव्याख्यातः क्रियाविशेषपरिच्छिन्नः
अन्यस्यापरिच्छिन्नस्य परिच्छेद हेतुः । राजवार्तिक, पृ० २२२
