Essay name: Discovery of Sanskrit Treasures (seven volumes)
Author:
Satya Vrat Shastri
Affiliation: Karnatak University / Department of Sanskrit
The series called "Discovery of Sanskrit Treasures" represents a comprehensive seven-volume compendium of Dr. Satya Vrat Shastri's research on Sanskrit and Indology. They feature a wide range of studies across major disciplines in these fields, showcasing Shastri's pioneering work. They include detailed analyses like the linguistic appraisal of Yogavasishtha, etymological studies in the Mahabharata and the Devibhagavata-purana, as well as explorations of human values as defined in ancient texts.
Volume 5 - Philosophy and Religion
45 (of 216)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
CC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri Collection, New Delhi. Digitized by S3 Foundation USA.
Concept of Time in Post-Vedic Sanskrit Literature 41
thinkers, the astronomers, whom Hel膩r膩ja rightly dubs as having
a short-range vision; ity arv膩gdar艣an膩岣� kecin manyanter Though
not falling in with this view, Bhart峁沨ari does not refute it. On the
contrary, he seeks to answer some of the objections raised against
it, as we shall presently see.
According to these thinkers, action that measures another
action is also K膩la, so far as that particular action is concerned.
The movement of the sun etc., called the day and the like, and
the milking of the cow, etc., having a well-defined duration is a
measure for another action of unknown duration, such as sitting.
It is, therefore, K膩la
kriyantaraparicchede prav峁泃t盲 y膩 kriy膩峁� prati
nirj帽膩taparim膩峁嚹� s膩 k膩la ityabhidhiyatel 87
An example will make it clear. We say: godoham 盲ste, which
means: 'he sits as long as the cows are milked.' Now, the milking
of the cows limits the period of sitting. It does the function of
time and is therefore recognized as time.
Now if time is nothing but the movement of the sun, the
planets, etc. we are faced with the question: How is it that a
meditating Yogi shut up in his cell, with his senses drawn in, as
the tortoise draws in its limbs, is aware of time? Certainly he does
not perceive the movements of the sun, etc., or the dripping of
water from a jar. How does he know then on leaving his sam膩dhi
or meditation that he had been meditating, some one approaches
and disturbs him, the Yogi exclaims rather sadly: "It is soon that
my sam膩dhi has been interrupted." How does he measure time?
How can he use the terms ciram (late) and k峁pram (soon), which
are meaningless without the awareness of time.
To this, Bhart峁沨ari's answer reads as follows: Action is
reflected in the mind, and then the reflected (and uninterrupted)
moments of action are fused into one concept. This fusing itself
is the measure of the movement of breath; hence it is K膩la, as it
gives the notion of time that has elapsed even in the absence of
external motion as that of the sun.
CC-0. Prof. Satya Vrat Shastri Collection, New Delhi. Digitized by S3 Foundation USA
