Substance (2): Ap (Water)

Ap or water is the second of the nine dravyas. Taste is the special quality of water. The sense of taste is composed through the elements of water. Annaṃbhaṭṭa defines water as that which has cold-touch.^[1] As in the case of earth, Annaṃbhaṭṭa points out the non-applicability of this definition to water which is just produced and destroyed. He then proceeds to refute this by saying that the definition of water may be described as having the generic attribute other than dravyatva which has the same substratum with cold-touch.^[2] So, he shows the faultless definition of water as that which possesses aptva. Kaṇāda gives the definition of water as rūparasasparśavatya āpo dravāḥ snigdhāḥ.^[3] Hence, according to Kaṇāda, water possesses the qualities of colour, taste and touch; it is fluid and soothing. He again says cold-touch is the special quality of water.^[4]

Annaṃbhaṭṭa also rejects the contention that cold-touch felt in the stone may indicate the over-pervasive of the definition of water. He points out that coldtouch is felt in stone because of its relation with water.^[5]

Water, like earth is divided into two types nitya (eternal) and anitya (noneternal). The eternal water is the atom of water and non-eternal is the products of water.^[6] The qualities of the eternal atoms of water are eternal and the qualities of non-eternal watery substances are non-eternal.^[7] Again it is of three types–body, sense-organ and object. Watery body is found in the Varuṇaloka, sense-organ is that through which one perceives taste which is located at the tip of the tongue. Viṣayas are rivers, seas etc.^[8]