[Advaita-l] ANOTHER QUESTION ON RV AND VEDANTA ROOTS...

[Anand Hudli]

Dear Shri Subrahmanianji,

>// there was no indication of either Day or Night - the Sun and the Moon.//

>could it be taken as the 'absence of the concept of Time' prior to creation?


Here sAyaNAchArya's commentary is illuminating:

नन्वेतस्य सर्वस्याधिकरणभूतः कालो विद्यत इत्यत आह। न रात्र्या इति। न रात्र्या
अह्नश्च प्रकेतः प्रज्ञानमासीत्। तद्धेतुभूतयोः सूर्याचन्द्रमसोरभावात्।
एतेनाहोरात्रनिषेधेन तदात्मको मासर्तुसंवत्सरप्रभृतिकः सर्वः कालः
प्रत्याख्यातः।

Clearly, he says Time was not there. However, I have seen another argument
that the mantra is denying time divisions, such as month, season, year,
etc., or seconds, minutes, hours, etc. But it does not deny Time, which can
be considered without any limitations, divisions. Considered thus, it
becomes the same as the Unlimited Brahman.

Anand