A moment is a part of time, and the counterpart of it is the time taken (again, we
have to use the very same word, because nothing else is available) for a particular
modification of prakriti to shift itself from one mode to another mode. It is said to be
the minutest type of modification, which cannot be further subdivided. When there is
a minute transformation of the gunas of prakriti, and there is a shift from one state
to another state—that means to say, when one state undergoes transformation or
modification into another state, in its minutest, non-subdivisible form—the mind
gets connected with it in its cognition, and the cognition of the mind in respect of this
minutest modification of the gunas of prakriti, from one state to another state, is a
moment of time, says the sutra. Thus, a moment of time is defined here as the
perception by the mind of the minutest modifications of the gunas of prakriti, from
one condition to another condition.
Hence, it appears that there is a connection between the outer transformations and
the inner cognitions. Here again, we are in a difficulty. Is time objective or
subjective? The sutra puts us in this difficulty by making such a statement. It is
difficult to believe that the individual mind is the creator of time, though the
individual mind has something to say about it and something to do with it. Because
the individual mind is connected with the cosmical mind in a mysterious manner, it
is connected with everything in the cosmos. The cognition of the mind in respect of a
modification of the gunas of prakriti implies this connection. This connection is
intrinsic, not merely artificially created. Therefore, the apparent subjection of the
individual to the process of time seems to be due to the feeling of the individual as
something of the nature of an effect rather than of the nature of a cause, attributing
causality to the gunas of prakriti, and the character of the effect to one’s own self.
We have been habituated to think like this on account of our being controlled by the
modifications of the world outside.
The sutra’s intention is to tell us how we can get over the control that seems to be
exerted over us by the time process, in order that we may attain liberation. For this,
there was the earlier sutra in the Vibhuti Pada which told us that by concentration on
the moments of time, time-consciousness can be conquered. We can have eternity-
consciousness by concentration on the moments of time—which means to say, we
refuse to think in terms of the succession that takes place outside in the world and fix
our attention on one particular moment of time only, or one particular form of
modification.
This is another form of deep concentration of mind on a given concept. Patanjali tells
us in a different language, in a different manner, that the mind has to be
concentrated on a single vritti only, and it should not be allowed to shift itself to
another vritti. We have only one vritti in the mind, and do not allow that vritti to
change into another vritti, because the moment one vritti changes into another vritti
there will be time-consciousness, and there will be consciousness of the succession of
events, and perhaps consciousness of different objects also. This is to be prevented by
a forced fixing of the attention on a particular concept that has arisen, because a
concept and a vritti are the same.
All this complicated description of the time process, etc., seems to amount to saying,
finally, that we are supposed to practise samyama on a given concept and should not
allow the concept to change into another concept. Then, there would be the breaking
of the structure of the mind. The mind, which has been habituated to think in terms