Verse 623-624

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

आदित्यादिक्रियाद्रव्यव्यतिरेकनिबन्धनम् ।
परापरादिविज्ञानं घटादिप्रत्ययो यथा ॥ ६२३ ॥
वलीपलितकार्कश्यगत्यादिप्रत्ययादिदम् ।
यतो विलक्षणं हेतुः स च कालः किलेष्यते ॥ ६२४ ॥

ādityādikriyādravyavyatirekanibandhanam |
parāparādivijñānaṃ ghaṭādipratyayo yathā || 623 ||
valīpalitakārkaśyagatyādipratyayādidam |
yato vilakṣaṇaṃ hetuḥ sa ca kālaḥ kileṣyate || 624 ||

“The notion of priority, posteriority and so forth must have for its basis something other than mobile substances like the sun,—like the notion of the jar and such things,—because it is entirely different in character from the notion of wrinkles, grey hairs, emaciation and so forth;—and it is this basis, cause, which is held to be ‘time’.”—(623-624)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

The following Texts sets forth his reasonings in support of Time being a Substance:—[see verses 623-624 above]

“The term ‘mobile substances’ should be taken as standing for ‘wrinkles’, etc.

“Such notion as—‘Prior’, applied to the Father;—‘Posterior’, to the Son;—‘simultaneous’, ‘for a long time’, ‘soon’, ‘is being done’, ‘was done’, ‘will be done’, and so forth—all this notion of Priority and Posteriority, etc. must be based upon (due to) some substance other than the Sun and other mobile substances;—because they are different in character from the notion of ‘wrinkles’, ‘grey hairs’ and so forth,—like the notion of the Jar and suchngs:—and that which is the basis of the said notions must be Time, as that alone has the requisite capacity. For instance, the said notion of ‘Priority’ and ‘Posteriority’ cannot be due to Space,—because when the old man is standing in space at the back of the younger man, he is said to be ‘posterior’; and similarly when the Son is standing in space in front of the Father, he is said to be ‘prior’,—Nor can the said notion be due to wrinkles, grey hairs and such causes; because it is entirely different from the notion of these.—Nor can it be due to any Action (Movement),—because it is different in character from that also.—To this end is the Sūtra (of the Vaiśeṣikas)—

‘Such notions as Prior, Posterior, Simultaneous, for Long Time, and Soon are the indicatives of Time’,

“The character of being permanent, one and so forth has to be understood in regard to Time in the same way as in regard to Ākāśa.”—(623-624)