[Advaita-l] [advaitin] Examination of time as per Relativity, NyAya and VedAnta

[V Subrahmanian]

Dear Sudhanshu ji,

You have nicely summed up the Vedantic view of Time. The everyday
experience itself shows us that time is part of the observed world; without
time there is no experience. Hence Time is drśya, seen, object, inert and
hence mithyā.

Today, while reading the Atma purāṇa of HH Sri Shankarananda Saraswati, a
Guru of Swami Vidyaranya, I found a footnote by the editor:

 २. 'कालस्त्वविधैवे' ति बिन्दुकृतः । रत्नावलीकाराः 'महाकाले मानाभावः,
इदानीमिदम् इत्यादिबुद्धेः जन्यमात्ररूपखंण्डकालमात्रविषयकत्वमेव, अयं
साभासाविद्यारूपः, अविद्यागताऽऽभासाऽविविक्तचित एवेश्वरत्वस्यो क्तत्वात्,
साभासाविद्यायामीश्वरोपाधित्वमिति भाव' इति प्रतिपादयामासुः (पृ. १५२) ।
संवत्सरादिरूपकालस्योत्पत्तेः श्रुतत्वादीश्वरात्मा महाकाल
एवादित्यादिभिरुपाधिभिः परिच्छिन्नः खण्डकालव्यवहारगोचर आकाश इव
घटाकाशादिव्यवहारविषय इत्यभिप्रेत्य, उपहितस्य
चोपाधिशुद्धाभ्यामनन्यत्वाऽयोगाज्जन्यतोपपत्तेर्निरूपकाणां च विराड्रूपतेव
निरूप्यस्य कालस्यापि तद्रूपता सङ्गच्छत इत्यनुसन्धेयम् ।

Translation by Clause AI, with my interaction:

*2.* The phrase *kālas tu avidyaiva* ("time is indeed nothing but
nescience/avidyā") was written by the author of the *Siddhāntabindu*
[Madhusūdana Sarasvatī].(I think Bindukr̥taḥ refers to this. I may be
wrong.)

The author of the *Ratnāvalī* established the following (p. 152):
"Regarding *mahākāla* (primordial/great time), there is no scriptural
authority (*pramāṇa*). The intellect (*buddhi*) in the form 'this is now',
'this was then', and so forth, has as its object only *khaṇḍa-kāla*
(divided/finite time), which is the nature of something produced (
*janya-mātra-rūpa*). This [i.e., mahākāla itself] is of the nature of
*avidyā* together with its reflection (*sābhāsa-avidyā-rūpa*), because
Īśvarahood has been stated [in the tradition] to belong to the *cit* (pure
consciousness) that is not distinguished from the *ābhāsa*
(reflection/appearance) residing within *avidyā*; and the purport is that,
in *sābhāsa-avidyā*, [mahākāla] serves as the *upādhi* (limiting adjunct)
of Īśvara."

Since the origination (*utpatti*) of time in the form of the year and so on
(*saṃvatsarādi-rūpa-kāla*) is attested by *śruti*, [the intended meaning is
as follows]: Mahākāla, who is the very Self as Īśvara, is — just like ākāśa
(space), which, though itself unlimited, becomes the object of practical
usage as *ghaṭākāśa* (pot-space) and similar divisions through limiting
adjuncts (*upādhis*) such as pots — delimited by limiting adjuncts such as
Āditya (the sun) and others, and thereby becomes the object of practical
usage concerning *khaṇḍa-kāla* (finite, divided time).

With this understanding in view, and because — given that what is
conditioned (*upahita*) cannot be non-different from both the pure *upādhi*
and the impure *upādhi* [simultaneously] — the origination [of finite time]
is rendered intelligible; and furthermore, since the *nirūpakas*
(determinants/qualifiers) themselves have the nature of *Virāṭ* (the cosmic
totality), it is to be reflected upon that *kāla* as the *nirūpya* (what is
determined/qualified) likewise has that same nature.


Apart from this, or including the above thoughts, there are some references
to the concept of Kāla in Volume 1 of 'Sri Dakshinamurti Stotram,' English,
authored by Ved Br.Sri D.S.Subbaramaiya:

https://archive.org/details/wg880/page/n29/mode/2up

The table of contents pertaining to Kala, is reproduced here. The three
digit numbers are page numbers inside the book. Those interested can read
about those topics in the above link.

5.6 Kala 324 5.6 1 'Flow' of Time 325 5.6.2 'Time' in various Schools 327 5
6.3 Vedantic view of Time 327 5.6 4 Time revealed by Sakshi 329 5.65 Time
as an effect of Avidya 330 5.6.6 Time as Avidya 330 5 6.7 Time as relation
between Avidya and Brahman 331 568 Time as Kriyasaktı of Isvara 332 5.6.9
Time as Tatasthalakshana of Brahman the Timeless-Eternity 334 5.6.10 Time
as leading to Eternity 336 5.6.11 The 'Now' Experience: Fleeting Image of
Eternal 'Now' 339.

The same book contains a discussion about 'Space, deśa' too.

Warm regards

subbu



On Tue, Oct 7, 2025 at 1:13 PM Sudhanshu Shekhar <sudhanshu.iitk at gmail.com>
wrote:

> Hari Om,
>
> An examination of time has been done as per Relativity, NyAya and Advaita
> VedAnta. It is a rather elaborate note. I request learned members to go
> through it at their leisure and suggest changes, if any. It may require
> some significant dedicated time and I seek the indulgence of learned
> members in this regard.
>
> The note can be downloaded in PDF from
> https://sudhanshushekhar.wordpress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/examination-of-time-as-per-relativity-nyaya-and-vedanta.pdf
>
> The crux of discussion, mentioned in Para 4.6 of the note, is as under:
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> *As per Modern Science, there is no universal time. It varies from
> person-to-person and is also dependent on external conditions such as
> presence of massive objects in vicinity. Time is not an entity in itself
> but can at best be portrayed as a projection of an entity named as
> spacetime. As a shadow of spacetime, time varies from person A to person B.
> If the heart-rate of both A and B is 75 beats per minute when there is no
> relative motion between them, then as per A, the B’s heart rate will be
> much lower if B is in relative motion with respect to A. Similarly, time
> passes differently for A at sea-level and B at the top of Mt. Everest.
> Thus, though Modern Science refutes time as an independent entity, it
> retains a real spacetime. However, since spacetime is also an object of
> knowledge, as per VedAnta, this would also be illusory.NyAya takes an
> extremely common sense view of time and infers the existence of an eternal,
> omnipresent, singular dravya named mahAkAla having no vyavahAra-yOgyatA.
> Through born-upAdhis, it accomplishes vyavahAra-yOgyatA and becomes the
> cause of vyavahAra such as past-ness/future-ness etc. We have seen that no
> valid pramANa can be adduced for that. Further, since anumAna and Shruti
> show complete identity of waking and dream, and just as there is no need to
> accept a mahAkAla to explain dream-cognitions of time, there is no need to
> accept mahAkAla to explain waking-cognitions of time either. Thus, NyAya’s
> view of having mahAkAla etc is devoid of merit.Advaita VedAnta takes up the
> discussion of time at several levels. As per the core theory of advaita
> vedAnta, there cannot be any time as singular inactive reality, Brahman,
> cannot accommodate change without which time cannot be conceived. However,
> advaita uses several prakriyAs to arrive at its supreme teaching. In those
> prakriyAs, time is variously defined which suit the seeker at different
> stages of his spiritual evolution. Time can be described as a flow
> (TaittirIya AraNyaka), or as kriyA-shakti of Ishwara, or as
> taTastha-lakshaNa of Brahman, or as upalkshaNa of AtmA, or as avidyA or as
> avidyA-chit-sambandha or it can be dismissed completely. When time is
> described as avidyA-chit-sambandha or avidyA, in that case, it can be
> equated with AvaraNa. And when time is not equated to either avidyA or
> avidyA-chit-sambandha, rather is accepted to be born, it loses all its
> special treatment. It becomes like any other seen object, like a table or
> chair. There is no need to pay any special attention to time.In the
> considered view of the writer of this note, time is just like any other
> seen. There is no need to pay any attention to it. No need to analyse
> changes in passage of time with respect to different observers or changes
> in the vicinity of massive objects. Time is also seen, and is hence
> illusory. And is hence not worthy of being paid any attention. It needs to
> be ignored, just as a mirage is ignored. It is however pertinent to note
> that ignoring ignorance, ignoring AvaraNa, ignoring time and ignoring
> causality practically appear to be the same. In that perspective,
> ignorance, AvaraNa, time and causality all appear to be practically the
> same. If I reject one, the others stand rejected ipso facto. And one
> situates as one’s own Self.*
>
> I request the following persons specifically to kindly share their views:
>
>    - Shri Lalitaalaalitah Swami ji.
>    - Shri Venkatraghavan ji.
>    - Shri Subbu ji.
>    - Shri Bandaru Viswanath ji.
>    - Shri Satyan Chidambaran ji.
>    - Shri Raghav ji.
>    - Shri Vikram Jagannathan Ji.
>    - Shri Jaishankar Ji.
>
> Any errors or wrong deductions may kindly be highlighted without any
> hesitation.
>
> Regards,
> Sudhanshu Shekhar.
>
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