Vada in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c8.s8.2

c8.s8.2

Dharmakīrti strongly refutes the theories of Satkāryavāda and Pariṇāmavāda advocated by the proponents of Sāṁkhya. The Sāṁkhya theory of causality (Satkāryavāda) holds that the effects live as *avyakta* (unmanifest) within the cause. Thus, the curd lies *avyakta* in the milk. All effects exist either in *vyakta* or in *avyakta* forms — there is nothing non-existing. Dharmakīrti argues that in that case, the manifestation itself will have to be termed as existent and non-existent; therefore to hold that nothing is non-existent is impossible, as it will render all negative usages (like this is without that, that is not without this, etc.) impracticable and will create a universe without existences and non-existences (which is again an impossibility).⁵³ With regard to the theory of *pariṇāma* (transformation), Dharmakīrti does not overrule the linguistic usages like “the milk has been transformed into curd” — but he would like this transformation to be understood in the light of the Buddhist theory of causality — as a series (*santāna*) of cause and effect, rather than its Sāṁkhyaite implication of the unity of the cause and the effect. The Sāṁkhya theorist holds that the substance remains the same, only there is a cessation of some of its property and generation of some different property in it. Dharmakīrti points out the inner contradiction of the Sāṁkhya here, how can the substance remain the same if some of its properties perish and some other properties within it are generated? The Sāṁkhyaite will have to answer the question whether the properties are the same as substance or different from the substance. Both the situations are impossible as per the Sāṁkhya tenets, because if the properties are one and same with the substance, then the change of properties will involve the change of the substance also, and if the properties are different from the substance, then the theory of *pariṇāma* will be vindicated, as the substance will not undergo through the transformation, only its properties will be transformed. If the Sāṁkhyaite says that we will hold the transformation of the substance also, then he will have to accept the transformation of consciousness as well. For Dharmakīrti, there is no relation except the relation of the cause and the effect; he will not accept the *dharma*–*dharmī* relationship.