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

Sudhanshu Shekhar sudhanshu.iitk at gmail.com
Tue Oct 7 03:43:05 EDT 2025


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.


More information about the Advaita-l mailing list