Vaiśeṣika Sūtra 5.2

5.2.1

nodanād abhighātāt saṃyuktasaṃyogāc ca pṛthivyāṃ karma |

nodana-abhighātāt—from molecular movement or impulse, and from impact; saṃyukta-saṃyogāt—from conjunction with the conjunct; ca—and; pṛthivyām—in Earth, Karma, action.

1. Action in Earth (results) from impulse, impact, and conjunction with the conjunct.

[Read sūtra 5.2.1 above]

“nodana” is a particular form of conjunction: conjunction, action produced by which does not become the cause of the disjunction of conjoint things from each other; or, conjunction which does not become the efficient cause of Sound. That particular form of conjunction is called impact, which becomes the efficient cause of Sound, and action produced by which becomes the cause of disjunction of conjoint things from each other. By each of them also action is produced in. Earth called clay. In Earth action is produced from impulse given by the foot, as well as from the impact of the foot. Here clay is the combinative cause; impulse and impact are respectively non-combinative causes; gravity, impetus, and volition are, so far as they are necessary, efficient causes. “From conjunction with the conjunct:” Because action is simultaneously observed in a water-pot, etc., lying on day, when action is produced in that clay from impulse or from impact.—1.

5.2.2

tad viśeṣeṇādṛṣṭakāritam |

tat—that, i; e., action in Earth. viśeṣeṇa—with a particular consequence; adṛṣṭa-kāritam—caused by adṛṣṭa or destiny.

2. (If action in Earth happens) with a particular consequence, it is caused by adṛṣṭa.

[Read sūtra 5.2.2 above]

‘Tat’ alludes to action in Earth. Action in Earth alone, if it happens with a particular consequence, i.e., under the tendency (vāsanā) of transmigratory souls towards birth, life, and experience (bhoga), is then caused by adṛṣṭa. Therefore, the non-combinative cause of earthquake is conjunction of the soul, possessing adṛṣṭa, of a person whose pleasure or pain is produced by the earthquake; the earth is the combinative cause; and adṛṣṭa is the efficient cause.

‘Or’ ‘tat’ alludes to impulse and impact. ‘Viśeṣaḥ’ means absence. So that, the meaning is, action in Earth, which is produced in the absence of impulse and impact, is caused by adṛṣṭa.—2.

5.2.3

apāṃ saṃyogābhāve gurutvāt patanam |

apām—of waters; saṃyoga-abhāve—in the absence of conjunction; gurutvāt—from gravity; patanam—falling.

3. The falling of waters, in the absence of conjunction, is due to gravity.—201.

[Read sūtra 5.2.3 above]

The falling of waters, in the form of a shower, is caused by gravity, which is its non-combinative cause. It takes place in the absence of conjunction, i.e., conjunction with the cloud. Therefore, absence of conjunction is the efficient cause. This is the meaning.—3.

5.2.4

tad viśeṣeṇādṛṣṭakāritam |

The falling of waters, in the form of a shower, is caused by gravity, which is its non-combinative cause. It takes place in the absence of conjunction, i.e., conjunction with the cloud. Therefore, absence of conjunction is the efficient cause. This is the meaning.—3.

5.2.5

dravatvāt syandanam |

dravatvāt—from fluidity; syandanam—flowing.

4. Flowing (results) from fludity.

[Read sūtra 5.2.4 above]

By the mutual conjunction of drops of water fallen on earth, a large body of water, in the form of a stream, is produced. And the flowing or distant progression, which takes place in it, is produced from fluidity as its non-combinative cause, and from gravity as its efficient cause, in water drops which are its combinative causes—4.

5.2.6

nāḍyā vāyusaṃyogād ārohaṇam |

nādyaḥ—the sun’s rays; vāyu-saṃyogāt—through conjunction with air; ārohaṇam—ascent.

5. The sun’s rays (cause) the ascent (of water), through conjunction with air.

[Read sūtra 5.2.5 above]

The word, ‘cause’ (verb), is the complement of the aphorism. The rays of the sun cause the going up of water, through conjunction with air.

In the summer, the sun’s rays, being impelled by air, cause the ascent of water. This is the meaning.

Where the reading is “nāḍyavāyusaṃyogāt” there it should he interpreted as conjunction with air related to the sun’s rays.—5.

5.2.7

nodanāt pīḍanāt saṃyuktasaṃyogāc ca |

nodana-āpīḍanāt—from concussion, or being violently shaken by or through the impulse; saṃyukta-saṃyogāt—from conjunction with the conjunct; ca—and.

6. (Particles of water fly upwards), by means of concussion with impulse, and of conjunction with the conjunct.

[Read sūtra 5.2.6 above]

Particles of water fly up, being conjoined with the sun’s rays, which are, in turn, conjoined with air, through concussion with the impulse of strong wind; in the same way as the rays of fire, bestirred by air, carry up particles of water boiling in a cauldron. The word ‘ca’ conveys the sense of ‘as.’ And here only particles of water boiling in a cauldron should be observed to be the simile.—6.

5.2.8

vṛkṣābhisarpaṇam ity adṛṣṭakāritam |

vṛkṣa-abhisarpaṇam—circulation in trees; iti—this; adṛṣṭa-kāritam—caused by adṛṣṭa or destiny.

7. The circulation (of water) in trees is caused by adṛṣṭa.

[Read sūtra 5.2.7 above]

‘Abhisarpaṇam’ means flowing towards or all over. That takes place in a tree, of water poured at its root. It is caused by adṛṣṭa, i.e., of those souls whose pleasure or pain is produced by the growth of the leaves, branches, fruits, flowers, etc. The meaning, then, is that action by which water rises up and causes the growth of trees, arises from con junction with the above-mentioned souls, possessing adṛṣṭa, as its non-combinative cause, and from adṛṣṭam, as its efficient cause, in water which is its combinative cause.—7.

5.2.9

apāṃ saṅghāto vilayanaṃ ca tejasaḥ saṃyogāt |

apām—of waters; saṅghātaḥ—condensation; vilayanam—dissolution; ca—and; tejaḥ-saṃyogāt—from conjunction with fire.

8. Condensation, and dissolution, of water, are due to conjunction with fire.

[Read sūtra 5.2.8 above]

Aqueous ultimate atoms, originating a binary atomic aggregate, in consequence of being impeded by celestial fire, do not originate fluidity in these binary atomic aggregates. Snow, hail, etc, void of fluidity, are thus originated, in the course of binary and others atomic aggregates, by constituent parts void of fluidity. Therefore hardness is observed in them.

Such being the case, it may be asked, what proof is there that snow, hail, etc., are modifications of water? Accordingly it has been said, “Dissolution also from conjunction with fire.” By a more powerful conjunction with fire, action is produced in the ultimate atoms originative of snow, hail, etc. Action produces disjunction. From the successive destruction thereby of originative conjunctions follows the destruction of the larger compounds, snow, hail, etc. In consequence of the departure therefrom of conjunction with fire, which was an impediment to fluidity, the very same ultimate atoms originate fluidity in binary atomic aggregates; whence dissolution takes place of snow, hail, etc., thus endowed with fluidity. Here also the subsequent ingress of a more powerful fire is the efficient cause.—8.

5.2.10

tatrāvasphūrjathur liṅgam |

tatra—there, i; e., in the case of the ingress of fire into water. visphurjjathuḥ—the pealing of thunder; liṅgam—mark.

9. The pealing of thunder is the mark of that.

[Read sūtra 5.2.9 above]

‘Tatra,’ i.e., in the matter of the subsequent ingress of fire, present in ether, into water floating in ether, ‘visphurjjathuḥ liṅgam,’ i.e., the pealing of thunder itself is the mark. This is the meaning. Far-reaching flash of lightning is clearly perceptible; thunder which immediately follows it, is also really perceptible. By this it is inferred that fire present in ether, in the form of lightning, has entered into the cloud from which hailstones appear. By its presence, as a condition, impediment is caused to the fluidity of water-particles originative of hailstones.—9

5.2.11

vaidikaṃ ca |

vaidikam—Vedic, Derived from Veda; Ca and.

10. (There is) Vedic (proof) also.

[Read sūtra 5.2.10 above]

The meaning is that the ingress of fire into water is proved by the Veda also. Thus:—

“Those waters held fire in their womb, which held fire in their womb,” etc.—10.

5.2.12

apāṃ saṃyogād vibhāgāc ca stanayitnuḥ |

apām—of waters; saṃyogāt—from conjunction; vibhāgāt—from disjunction; ca—and; stanayitnoḥ—of cloud.

11. (Thunder-clap results) from conjunction with, and disjunction from, water, of the cloud.

[Read sūtra 5.2.11 above]

“Visphurjjathuḥ” is the complement of the aphorism. Conjunction with, and disjunction from, water, of the cloud, by becoming efficient causes, produce sound, i.e., thundering, in ether as the combinative cause through the conjunction of the cloud itself with ether, as the non-combinative cause. Sometimes, again, conjunction with, and disjunction from, air, of the cloud, are the efficient causes, and conjunction of the cloud with ether, and its disjunction therefrom, are the non-combinative causes. This is collaterally mentioned in the topic of the causes of action. Or, since action is the leading topic here, it is indicated that, conjunction of the cloud and ether, or their disjunction being the non-combinative cause of sound, the (efficient) cause is action produced from the impulse and impact of water alone—11.

5.2.13

pṛthivīkarmaṇā tejaḥkarma vāyukarma ca vyākhyātam |

pṛthivi-karmaṇā—by the action of Earth; tejaḥ-karma—action of fire; vāyu-karma—action of air; ca—and Vyākhyāṭam, explained.

12. The action of Fire, and the action of Air are explained by the action of Earth.

It has been stated that conjunction with soul possession adṛṣṭa is a cause of earth-quake. As there, so in the case of the action which is produced in fire which causes sudden conflagration, and in air which causes a sudden agitation of trees and the like, conjunction with soul possessing adṛṣṭa is also the non-combinative cause; air and fire arc the combinative causes; and adṛṣṭa is tire efficient cause. This is the moaning.

[Read sūtra 5.2.12 above]

The twice recurrence of the word action in the aphorism, has the object of indicating the action of meteors, etc.—12.

5.2.14

agner ūrdhvajvalanaṃ vāyoś ca tiryagpavanam aṇumanasoś cādyaṃ karmety adṛṣṭakāritāni |

agneḥ—of fire; ūrddhva-jvalanam—flaming upward; vāyoḥ—of air; tiryak—sideward; pavanam—blowing; aṇunām—of atoms; Manasaḥ. of mind. ca—and; ādyam—initial, first; karma—action; adṛṣṭa-kāritam—caused by adṛṣṭam.

13. The initial upward flaming of fire, the initial sideward blowing of air, and the initial actions of atoms, and of mind are caused by adṛṣṭa.

[Read sūtra 5.2.13 above]

‘Ādya’ [ādyam] means contemporaneous with, or existing at, the beginning of creation. At that stage, impulse, impact, etc., being non-existent, conjunction with soul possessing adṛṣṭam is in these cases the non-combinative cause. The adjective, ‘initial,’ qualifies upward flaming, and sideward blowing also. It is proper to hold that impetus is the non-combinative cause of other (than initial) actions of fire and air, for there being a visible or known cause there is no occasion for the supposition of an invisible or unknown cause—13.

5.2.15

hastakarmaṇā manasaḥ karma vyākhyātam |

ātmā-indriya-manaḥ-artha-sannikarṣāt—from contact of soul, sense, mind, and object; sukha-duḥkhe—pleasure and pain.

5.2.16

ātmendriyamano'rthasannikarṣāt sukhaduḥkhe tadanārambhaḥ |

15. Pleasure and pain (results) from contact of soul, sense, mind, and object.

[Read sūtra 5.2.15 above]

ātmā-indriya-manaḥ-artha-sannikarṣāt—from contact of soul, sense, mind, and object; sukha-duḥkhe—pleasure and pain.

tat-anārambhaḥ—non-origination of that, ie, pleasure and pain, or action of mind; ātmasthe—steady in the soul; manasi—mind being; śarīrasya—of body, ie, of the embodied soul; duḥkha-abhāvaḥ—non-existence of pain; saḥ—that; yogaḥ—yoga, communion.

16. Non-origination of that (follows) on the mind becoming steady in the soul; (after it, there is) non-existence of pain in the embodied soul. (This is) that yoga.

[Read sūtra 5.2.16 above]

5.2.17

ātmasthe manasi saśarīrasya sukhaduḥkhābhāvaḥ sa yogaḥ |

tat-anārambhaḥ—non-origination of that, ie, pleasure and pain, or action of mind; ātmasthe—steady in the soul; manasi—mind being; śarīrasya—of body, ie, of the embodied soul; duḥkha-abhāvaḥ—non-existence of pain; saḥ—that; yogaḥ—yoga, communion.

16. Non-origination of that (follows) on the mind becoming steady in the soul; (after it, there is) non-existence of pain in the embodied soul. (This is) that yoga.

[Read sūtra 5.2.16 above]

5.2.18

kāyakarmaṇātmakarma vyākhyātam |

[Read sūtra 5.2.16 above]

5.2.19

apasarpaṇam upasarpaṇam aśitapītasaṃyogaḥ kāryāntarasaṃyogāś cety adṛṣṭakāritāni |

apasarpaṇam—going out, egress; upasarpaṇam—coming into, ingress; aśita-pīta-saṃyogāḥ—conjunctions of what is eaten and drunk; kārya-antara-saṃyogaḥ—conjunctions of other effects or products; ca—and; adṛṣṭa-kāritāni—caused by adṛṣṭa.

17. Egress and ingress (of life and mind, from and into, body), conjunctions (i.e., assimilation) of food and drink, and conjunctions of other products,—these are caused by adṛṣṭa.

[Read sūtra 5.2.17 above]

5.2.20

tadabhāve saṃyogābhāvo 'prādurbhāvaḥ sa mokṣaḥ |

tat-abhāve—in the non-existence of that, i; e., the causal body—or potential body, or the subtle body of impressions and tendencies, acquired during life, which becomes the cause of re-birth, and in rebirth, becomes encased, as it were, in the gross, physical body; saṃyoga-abhāvaḥ—non-existence of conjunction, i; e., with the existing physical body. a-prādurbhāvaḥ—non-re-appearance, or non-rebirth; ca—and; mokṣaḥ—salvation, mokṣa.

18. Mokṣa consists in the non-existence of conjunction with the body, when there is at the same time, no potential body existing, and consequently, re-birth cannot take place.

[Read sūtra 5.2.18 above]

5.2.21

dravyaguṇakarmavaidharmyād bhāvābhāvamātraṃ tamaḥ |

dravya-guṇa-karma-niṣpatti-vaidharmyāt—because of difference in production from Substance, Attribute, and Action; abhāvaḥ—non-being, non-existence; tamaḥ—darkness.

19. Darkness is non-existence, because it is different in its production from Substance, Attribute, and Action.

[Read sūtra 5.2.19 above]

5.2.22

tejaso dravyāntareṇāvaraṇāc ca |

tejasaḥ—of light; dravya-antareṇa—by another substance; āvaraṇāt—because of obscuration; ca—and also.

20. (Darkness is non-existence), also because (it is produced) from the obscuration of light by another substance.

[Read sūtra 5.2.20 above]

5.2.23

dikkālāv ākāśaṃ ca kriyāvadbhyo vaidharmyān niṣkriyāṇi |

dik-kālau—space and time; ākāśaṃ—ether; ca—and also; kriyāvat-vaidharmyāt—because of difference from that which possesses activity; niṣkriyāṇi—inactive.

21. Space, Time, and also Ether are inactive, because of their difference from that which possesses activity.

[Read sūtra 5.2.21 above]

5.2.24

etena karmāṇi guṇāś ca vyākhyātāḥ |

etena—by this; karmāṇi—actions; guṇāḥ—attributes; ca—and; vyākhyātāḥ—explained.

22. By this, Actions and Attributes are explained (as inactive).

[Read sūtra 5.2.22 above]

5.2.25

niṣkriyāṇāṃ samavāyaḥ karmabhyaḥ pratiṣiddhaḥ |

niṣkriyāṇāṃ—of the inactive; samavāyaḥ—combination; karmabhyaḥ—from actions; niṣiddhaḥ—excluded, beyond, independent.

23. (The relation) of the inactive (i.e., Attribute and Action), (to Substance), is Combination, (which is) independent of actions.

[Read sūtra 5.2.23 above]

5.2.26

kāraṇaṃ tv asamavāyino guṇāḥ |

kāraṇaṃ—cause; tu—however; a-samavāyinaḥ—non-combinative; guṇāḥ—attributes.

24. Attributes are, however, non-combinative causes.

[Read sūtra 5.2.24 above]

5.2.27

guṇair dig vyākhyātā |

guṇaiḥ—by attributes; dik—space; Vyākhyātāḥ. explained.

25. Space is explained by Attributes.

[Read sūtra 5.2.25 above]

5.2.28

kāraṇena kālaḥ |

kāraṇena—by cause, i; e., by way of efficient causality. kālaḥ—Time.

26. By way of (efficient) causality, (the reference of action to Time as its seats, being explained), Time (is explained to be inactive, so far as combinative causality is concerned).

[Read sūtra 5.2.26 above]