Time and AvaraNa.

[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

Hare Krishna.

Time is variously defined across different darshanAs. 

In VedAnta, time is defined as avidyA-chit-sambandha. It is also stated as avidyA itself because avidyA-chit-sambandha can be accepted either as avidyA-prayukta or avidyA itself (because only swarUpa-sambandha is possible between avidyA and chit).

Taking the definition of time as avidyA-chit-sambandha, it is to be noted that AvaraNa (of Brahman) through avidyA is also defined as avidyA-chit-sambandha.

It therefore appears to imply that time itself is AvaraNa. 

Reference:

1. आवरणं च तद्योग्यता अज्ञानसंबन्धरूपा सुषुप्त्यादिसाधारणी आब्रह्मज्ञानमवतिष्ठते । (Advaita Siddhi, अज्ञान-विषय-विचारः)

2. अविद्या- चित् सम्बन्ध रूप महाकाल (Laghu ChandrikA, page 753, ब्रह्मणो ज्ञानत्व-आदि-विचारः)

3. मायाचित्संबन्धस्य कालस्य (Advaita Siddhi, ब्रह्मनिर्गुणत्व विचारः)

4. कालः तु अविद्या एव (SiddhAnta Bindu)

Regards,

Sudhanshu Shekhar.