Contents: Preface to the Fourth Edition. Preface to the Third Edition. Preface to the Second Edition. Preface to the First Edition. Introduction. 1. On the reality of absolute time. 2. Time as aspect of concrete becoming. 3. On time as appearance. 4. On discrete time. 5. The idea of instantaneous being. 6. Time, duration and the timeless: perspectives from philosophy of language. 7. Impact of diverse views of time. 8. Problem of time in cross-cultural context. Appendices. Bibliography. Index. This book, based on original sources, is an authentic study of the distinctly different views on time that have emerged from and have, in turn, shaped the Indian conceptual world. Apart from succinctly demonstrating the impact of these views on the exploration and formulation of such basic concepts as those of being, becoming, causality, creation and annihilation, the work has – as critics have acclaimed since its first publication – successfully shown “the simple falsity” of such clichés that the Indian view of time is “cyclic” or exclusively “illusory”. It has been, therefore, observed that this book makes an excellent introduction to the heart of Indian thought. It is considered to be a major contribution as well in cross-cultural philosophical conversations.