Verse 744

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

पदार्थशब्दः कं हेतुमपरं षट्स्वपेक्षते ।
अस्तीति प्रत्ययो यश्च सत्तादिष्वनुवर्त्तते ॥ ७४४ ॥

padārthaśabdaḥ kaṃ hetumaparaṃ ṣaṭsvapekṣate |
astīti pratyayo yaśca sattādiṣvanuvarttate || 744 ||

On what basis does the term ‘category’ (‘padārtha’) rest when applied to the six (vaiśeṣika categories)? as also the notion ‘it exists’ which is found to be present in ‘being’, etc.?—(744)

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

There is not (even for the Vaiśeṣika) any such ‘Universal’ as ‘Padārthatva’ (the genus ‘Category’) subsisting in all the six Categories,—on the basis of which there should be such a comprehensive notion as ‘this is a Category—this is a Category and so forth’;—similarly in the ‘Universal’, the ‘Specific Individuality’ and ‘Inherence’, the ‘Universal’ Being does not subsist; by virtue of which each of these could be conceived of as ‘existing’; because (according to the Vaiśeṣika) ‘Being’ subsists only in the three Categories of ‘Substance’, ‘Quality’ and ‘Action—As regards the three Categories of Substance and the rest, the Opponents hold the name to be based upon the presence of the ‘Universal’; hence the fallibility of the Reason has not been urged in regard to these.—(744)