History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v6.c82.11

v6.c82.11

A few passages from some of the Upaniṣads regarded as ancient by most scholars may be cited here; the Chān. Up. II.⁶⁵⁴ 31. 1 (while speaking of Vāmadevya Sāman and its parts) uses the word Kāla as equal to ‘end’ or ‘finish’ The Bṛ⁶⁵⁵ Up I. 2.4 says "He desired 'would that a second self of me were produced' ... He bore him for a time as long as a year; after that long time he brought him forth". In the dialogue between Gārgya and king Ajātaśatru in the same Upanisad Gārgya put forward several objects which he reverenced (*upāsana*) as brahma when the king replied as to those cases in these words '*Prāna* (breath) does not leave him before the time' and 'death does not come to him before time'. Here the word '*Kāla*' is used in the sense of 'proper or appointed time'. In the passage of the Kausītaki Br. that corresponds to Br Up II. 1 10 and 12 the words are 'neither he himself nor his progeny pass into unconsciousness before the time' and 'neither he nor his progeny dies before the time'. In some passages of the Śvetāśvatara Up. some thinkers are stated to have put forward Kāla as the cause or source of creation e g. 'what is the cause?⁶⁵⁶ Is it Brahma? Whence are we born? Whereby do we live? On what are we established (or where are we going?) .. Time or inherent nature or necessity or chance or elements or *yoni* (prakrti) or the person, it is to be considered (whether one of these is cause)'; 'Some sages discourse upon inherent nature (as the cause) while other deluded persons speak of Time (as the cause).' Here Kāla is represented as the cause of creation, which is the 2nd meaning of the word Kāla set out from the Atharvaveda. In another passage⁶⁵⁷ of the same Up. Kāla is said to have been generated by Him who is intelligent and omniscient The first meaning of Kāla (time in general) is also found in Śvetāśvatara Up. 'He (God) is the beginning, the efficient cause of (all) combinations, He is beyond the three times and is also without parts'. The Māndūkyopanisad avers that Omkāra is beyond the threefold time viz. past, present and future.