Sūtra 3.51

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of Sūtra 3.51:

क्षणतत्क्रमयोः संयमाद् विवेकजं ज्ञानम् ॥ ३.५१ ॥

kṣaṇatatkramayoḥ saṃyamād vivekajaṃ jñānam || 3.51 ||

kṣaṇa-tat-kramayoḥ—(kṣaṇa) over the moments, (tat) And their, (krama) succession; saṃyamāt—by Saṃyama. vivekajam—born-of-discrimination. jñānam—knowledge.

51. By Saṃyama over the moments and their succession, comes knowledge born-of-discrimination.—157.

The Sankhya-pravachana commentary of Vyasa

[English translation of the 7th century commentary by Vyāsa called the Sāṅkhya-pravacana, Vyāsabhāṣya or Yogabhāṣya]

[Sanskrit text for commentary available]

As an atom is a substance in which minuteness reaches its limit, so, a moment is a division of time in which minuteness reaches its limit. Or a moment is that much of time which an atom takes in leaving the position in space it occupies and reaching the next point. The succession of moments is the non-cessation of the flow thereof. The moments and their collection do not fall into a collection of actual things. The Muhūrta, the day and night are all aggregates of mental conceptions. This time which is not a substantive reality in itself, but is only a mental concept, and which comes into the mind as a piece of verbal knowledge only, appears to people whose minds are given to out-going activities, as if it were an objective reality. The moment falls under the head of reality, and is maintained by succession. This succession consists in the sequence of moments. The Yogis who know time call this by the name of time.

Farther two moments cannot co-exist. There can be no succession of two co-existent moments. It is impossible. The uninterrupted sequence of the first moment and of the one which follows, is what is called succession. For this there is but one moment existing in the present; the antecedent and postcedent moments do not exist. Therefore, there cannot be any collection of them.

Further, the moments that have passed and those that have yet to come, should be described as existing in consequence of universal change in evolution. For this reason the whole world undergoes change every moment, all these characteristics are relatively established in that one moment of time. By Saṃyama over the moments and their succession, direct knowledge is obtained of them both, and thence is manifested discriminative knowledge.—157.

The Gloss of Vachaspati Mishra

[English translation of the 9th century Tattvavaiśāradī by Vācaspatimiśra]

Here the author describes the samyama which is the means of obtaining the knowledge born out of discrimination:—‘By Saṃyama over moments and their succession comes knowledge born of discrimination.’ The Commentator gives the meaning of the word ‘moment’ by an illustration ‘As the atom, &c.’ Wherever in a piece of stone, which is being divided and divided again and again, smallness reaches a point beyond which it cannot go, it is said to reach the limit of minuteness. That is called an atom. Similarly, the uttermost limit of minuteness of time, is a moment, a division of time which is not related to any other division of time as a part antecedent and postcedent.

He describes the same moment in another way:—‘Or, as much as, &c.’ The meaning is that a moment is that much of time in which a mere atom may go off its present place.

He describes the meaning of the word succession:—‘The non-cessation of the flow, &c,’ ‘Thereof’ means of the moments.

Further this sort of succession is not real. It is, on the other hand, a mental concept. Because it is impossible that a collection of them should be contemplated as real, seeing that they do not exist simultaneously, he says this:—‘The moments and their succession, &c.’ Because succession has for its characteristic the existence of a moment not in simultaneity, and because the collective existence of moments is devoid of objective reality, the collective existence of moments and their succession is also void of objective reality. Men without the natural excessive intellection of a Vaibāntika, being every moment given to knowledge which consists in out-going activity, and who are, therefore, confused, think that this Time is a reality.

Well then, is the Moment also unreal? He answers in the negative. ‘The moment, however, is classed among realities,’ is a real substance. ‘It is given support to by succession’:—The succession that gives support to the moments is only a mental concept, the result of imagination (vikalpa)

He gives the reason for the succession giving support to the moment:—‘As to succession, &c.’

He gives the reason for the succession being unreal:—‘And two moments, &c.’ The word ‘and,’ here signifies the reason ‘why.’

He says to him who holds that the moments each belonging to a different class may co-exist:—‘There can be no succession. &c.’

Why is it impossible? For this reason he says ‘Succession is, &c.’ He concludes ‘For this reason.’

Well, then, are the antecedent and postcedent moments of the nature of the horns of a hare only? He says, No. ‘The moments that are gone and those that are yet to come, &c.’

Existing in consequence of universal change:—This means followed in sequence similar. Concludes:—‘Therefore, &c.’ Because the present only has the power over the actions of objects proper to it.—51.