Great Time Analysis

The texts main message is to explain/describe India’s diverse range of beliefs on time/cosmic time (to prove the diversity within its beliefs). To prove this, Mircea Eliade begins with defining and analyzing myths and their relation to time. Explaining that myth tears man away from his own time, and easily allows those to forget their own time in history (Eliade, 174). Alluding to the topic of ‘Great Time.’ Great Time being timeless in itself, because it cannot be measured as it has no duration. Therefore, those who participate in listening to myths forget their historical situation (Eliade, 174) resulting in an encounter with Great Time. To explain this the author looks at the example of the Brahmavaivarta Purana, from Heinrich Zimmer.

It reviews terms such as Yuga (age) and Mahayuga (complete cycle) (Eliade, 177). Each cycle represents a different point in cosmic time. Buddhism and Jainism also accept similar pan Indian doctrine on cyclical time (Eliade, 180) showing India’s diversification in time/cosmic time. Eliade later discusses yoga as a ‘perfect cosmos.’ More specifically, Yogi’s who organize chaos will “cosmify’ their bodies and integrate themselves with lived time (Eliade, 196). This portrays another angle of India’s theory of time. That time should/can be controlled by someone (Yogi in this instance). The Author finishes with explaining that India has several perspectives/beliefs on time/eternity, including more than what’s listed in this reading (Eliade, 200). Overall, the authors objective was for the reader to understand India’s outlook on the relationship between time and

Eliade is a European scholar, and wrote this piece in 1957. In 1957 (Post-World War 2), Europe was still attempting to mend itself after the horrors of the War. So why did Eliade choose to write about India? Something that amidst the war, seemed so distant? Would Eliade be focusing on a distant topic in order to divert his focus/attention away from the horrors of home? In times of distress and misery, many attempt to divert their focus in the hopes of ‘forgetting’ about what truly haunts them. Eliade also focused on the topic of Great Time, as Great Time is something that is timeless (as if time has stopped). In such a distressful post war environment, it makes sense as to why Eliade would study the topic of ‘stopped time.’ A moment in which one could read/listen to a myth and be so engulfed in it, that time stops and you are taken out of your historical situation. Eliade may have been trying to throw himself out of his historic position, and therefore found the topic of Man and Time a perfect