[Advaita-l] Time

[Dr. Yadu Moharir]

In this context I recall a shloka from ViShNuu puraaNa.
 
viShNoH svarupaatparato hi te dvo ruupe pradhaanaM puruShashca vipra |
tasaiva te.anyena ghR^ite viyukte ruupaantaraM yad dvija kaalasa.nj~nam || (viShuu pu. 1.2.24)

Meaning - PruSha and prime-prakruti are ViShNuu's two forms. The third form "kaala-sa.j~naka" time designator manifests as a union at the time of creation and which dissolves, becomes separate "viyukta" at the time of pralaya (the destruction of the whole world , at the end of a Kalpa).
 
Obviously the above is based on the saamkhaya doctrine but it highlits the importance of kaala and it's relevance during living.
 
To me this means that realization of time is an important factor as one struggles through out our life times.  One goes through this creation and dissolution cycle in their careers as well.  The time period between two failures could be a "Kalpa" for that individual.  We often see industrialists who immediately after one unsuccessful attempt try again and again.  The famoous soft Drink brand 7-Up was born only after six unsuccessful attempts.
 
Regards,
 
Dr. Yadu
 


--- On Sun, 3/29/09, Michael Shepherd <michael at shepherd87.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:


From: Michael Shepherd <michael at shepherd87.fsnet.co.uk>
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Time
To: "A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta" <advaita-l at lists.advaita-vedanta.org>
Date: Sunday, March 29, 2009, 3:26 AM


I offer this tentative resolution of this apparent difference of viewpoint :
that atma in its very nature has command of all 'time' and all 'space' for
its fulfilment.

That for me is a happy and fruitful way of looking at the matter, and saves
fruitless personal considerations of 'my' rebirth etc. !

Michael

-----Original Message-----
From: advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org
[mailto:advaita-l-bounces at lists.advaita-vedanta.org]On Behalf Of Jaldhar
H. Vyas
Sent: 29 March 2009 09:10
To: A discussion group for Advaita Vedanta
Subject: Re: [Advaita-l] Time



On Wed, 25 Mar 2009, Mahesh Ursekar wrote:

> Pranams!
>
> Can anyone tell me how 'Time' is conceived of in Advaita Vedanta? There is
> talk of space (AkAsh) as one of the pacha-mAhAbhutas but no mention of
Time
> anywhere that I know of.
>

AkAsha is one of those hard to translate words.  Specifically it is the
medium of transmission of sound (and is therefore translated as aether in
English sometimes.)  Or it can mean space.  In Gujarati for instance, it
merely means sky.

In vaisheshika darshan, dishA (direction) is one of the 24 gunas posited
by that school.  It is more equivalent to the modern understanding of
space then akasha imo because direction has the property of extending
indefinitely along every point.  kAla or time is another.  After the 14th
century, nyAya-vaisheshika became obsolete and was replaced by the "navya"
nyAya of Gangesh Upadhyayas Tattva Chintamani and its commentaries.  In
navya nyAya the old scheme is simplified.  According to the kArikAvali
(26a)

kAlakhAtmadishAM sarvagatatvaM paramaM mahat |

"kAla (time), khA (a synonym of AkAsha), Atma(soul), and dishA (direction)
are
omnipresent and infinite in dimension"

Advaita Vedanta would not agree with that as of the four only Atma is
real and therefore omnipresent infinite etc.

--
Jaldhar H. Vyas <jaldhar at braincells.com>
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