Indian Philosophy v2.c24.s19.39

v2.c24.s19.39

The Vaiśeṣika believes that a substance is something over and above the qualities. At the moment the substances are produced they are devoid of qualities.³ For if qualities arise simultaneously with substances, there cannot be any distinction between them. If they do not arise, then substances would be free from qualities, and then the definition of substance as that which possesses qualities seems to be violated. To meet this difficulty, it is said that substance is the substrate of qualities either in the relation of intimate union (samavāya-sambandha) or antecedent negation (prāgabhāva), *i.e.* future existence. In other words, a substance is the basis of qualities, actual or potential, present or future.⁴ The Vaiśeṣika is anxious to assert the existence of something which has qualities without being itself a quality, for we predicate qualities of substances and not qualities of qualities. Nor can it be said that we predicate one quality of a group of qualities. But since a substance cannot be conceived apart from qualities, it is defined as possessing qualities.