Indian Philosophy v2.c24.s18.2

v2.c24.s18.2

“The Vaiśeṣika system seems to be of much greater antiquity than the Nyāya.”² This opinion of Garbe seems to be a reasonable one. In human knowledge the particular precedes the general. A theory of knowledge such as the one we have in the Nyāya is not possible until knowledge has made independent progress. Logic appears as a criticism and a corrective. The Sūtra of Kaṇāda and the Padārthadharmasaṃgraha of Praśastapāda do not show so much the influence of the Nyāya system, while the Sūtra of Gautama and the Bhāṣya of Vatsyāyana are considerably influenced by the Vaiśeṣika views.