Brahma-Sūtra 2.2.15

English of translation of Brahmasutra 2.2.15 by Roma Bose:

“And on account of (the atoms) having colour and so on, the reverse (view would follow), because of observation.”

Nimbārka’s commentary (Vedānta-pārijāta-saurabha):

And on account of the atoms having colour and the rest in accordance with the respective effects, there must be non-eternity, which is the “reverse” of eternity, (on their part), since pots and the rest, possessed of colour and so on, are observed to be non-eternal. Otherwise, the effects must be devoid of colour, etc.

Śrīnivāsa’s commentary (Vedānta-kaustubha)

Since the effects are possessed of colour, etc., the atoms, too, are admitted to be possessed of colour and so on.^[1] Thus, since the four kinds of atoms are possessed of colour and so on, i.e. possessed of colour, taste, smell and touch,—non-eternity, the “reverse” of eternity, results, as pots and the rest, possessed of colour and so on, are found to be non-eternal. If they be not admitted to be possessed of colour and the like, then the fact that the effects are possessed of colour and so on will come to be contradicted, and the initial proposition: ‘Possessed of parts and eternal’ too will come to be contradicted. For this reason too, there is the absence of that (viz. creation),—this is the meaning of the particle “and”. The sense is that an unseen object cannot be determined in accordance with what is seen. Hence the cause of the world is to be understood in accordance with Scripture.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

An effect can have no qualities which the cause has not.