Indian Philosophy v2.c24.s19.84

v2.c24.s19.84

The physical theory of the Vaiśeṣika is developed in connection with the five substances of earth, water, light, air and ākāśa. Matter, as we meet with it, is a mixture of five elements, containing one or the other in a predominant degree. The five phenomenal products (bhūtas) are the five states of matter, solid (earth), liquid (water), gaseous (air), luminous (light), etheric (ākāśa). The earth possesses the four qualities of smell, taste, colour and tangibility, water the three qualities of taste, colour and tangibility, light the two of colour and tangibility, while air has the quality of tangibility and ākāśa that of sound.³ Though earth contains a number of qualities, we yet say it has smell on account of the predominance of this quality.⁴ If water and other substances besides earth possess smell, it is because particles of earth are mixed up with them. We cannot think of earth without smell, though we can so think of air and water. Things made of earth are of three kinds, bodies, sense-organs and objects of perception.¹ The special quality of water is taste. Light has for its special property luminosity. Air is invisible, though limited in extent and made up of parts. The discrete nature of air is inferred from the movements in the air, which would not be possible were air an absolute continuum devoid of parts.² Its existence is inferred from touch,³ and it is said to be a substance, since it possesses quality and action. Temperature is the special quality of air. The ultimate constituents of the concrete things of earth, air, light and water are called atoms.