Answer
Time (kāla) is described as being almost inconspicuous by its absence in the spiritual world. A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada explains that in the material world, one major influence of time is its destructive nature—it deteriorates and ultimately destroys everything. This aspect of time is called its all-devouring potency. However, this destructive feature of kāla does not exist in the spiritual world.
At the same time, time has another function. It organizes events in a linear sequence so that experiences can unfold meaningfully. For example, you first feel hunger, then you eat, and afterward you feel satisfied. This sequence follows a logical order. It does not happen in reverse—you do not feel satisfied first, then eat, and then become hungry. So time has two aspects:
A destructive (deteriorating) influence
A sequencing function that arranges experiences in a meaningful order
In the spiritual world, the destructive aspect is absent, but the sequencing aspect—sometimes referred to as līlā-kāla—remains, allowing Krishna’s pastimes to unfold in a beautiful and coherent way. Now, regarding your second question: Is Krishna still present in Vṛndāvana? Yes, Krishna is always present. Just as the sun appears to set but is still shining elsewhere—if you travel, you can see it again—similarly, Krishna is eternally present. If one develops the proper qualifications, one can perceive Him even now in His unmanifest (aprakata) form. That is why great liberated souls can perceive Krishna in Vṛndāvana even today. But this requires qualification.
When Krishna was physically present (prakaṭa), many people could see Him, but not everyone understood Him. Even someone like Duryodhana directly heard Krishna, yet failed to understand Him. This shows that mere sensory contact—seeing, touching, or hearing externally—is not enough. Krishna is truly understood through hearing with proper consciousness, not just through the senses. Even during His manifest presence, only those with proper qualification—like the Pāṇḍavas, Kunti, the gopīs, and the gopas—could fully recognize and benefit from Him. So whether Krishna is manifest (prakaṭa) or unmanifest (aprakaṭa), access to Him depends on qualification. When He is manifest, more people can see Him, but still only a few truly understand Him. When He is unmanifest, both seeing and understanding require deeper spiritual qualification.
In summary:
Time in the material world destroys; in the spiritual world, it only facilitates divine pastimes
Krishna is always present, but realization depends on qualification
True understanding comes not merely by perception, but by purified consciousness and proper hearing
