Time

Time of day and time in life are closely related. In the morning at deva sandhyA (the twilight of the gods at dawn) sattva is high and the mind's resolve in vairAgya (dispassion) is strong. Having just emerged from Brahman in suShupti (dreamless sleep) it is not weakened by world experience. As the day wears on by evening it becomes weak and tamas predominates. The same pattern plays out in a human life as well on the scale of a year and a human lifetime. The mind wearies at the thought of approaching winter every year which is the nadir of dakshiNAyana (southern transit of the Sun until the winter solstice). Similarly the winter of human life is old age and the mind fears being alone and weak and abandoned. This same degeneration of mental strength of buddhi is seen in the Yugas also with Kali Yuga being the most degenerate. In fact, the root of all this is each thought.

If at the end of each thought the buddhi (discriminating intellect) is not lost but is refreshed by invigorating recollection of its true nature, the Self, then none of this will happen. Hence the importance of constant awareness of one's true nature as Pure Consciousness is necessary to counter buddhi's degradation through sense contacts and ensuing moha or delusion. If the asuras dominate the mind then Mohini (an avatar of ViShNu) is successful in deluding one, and at best one can be a RAhu (asura who tasted the nectar of immortality but whose body was severed by ViShNu's discus). But if the devas (gods) who cleanse themselves constantly in Pure Consciousness dominate the buddhi, then Mohini gives them amRtam, or the nectar of immortality. Then the Yogi conquers Time.