Sūtra 1.2.17 (Existence is one)

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 1.2.17:

सदिति लिङ्गाविशेषात् विशेषलिङ्गाभावाच्चैको भावः ॥ १.२.१७ ॥

saditi liṅgāviśeṣāt viśeṣaliṅgābhāvāccaiko bhāvaḥ || 1.2.17 ||

sat—existent; iti—this; liṅgāviśeṣāt—from the non-particularity or uniformity of the mark; viśeṣaliṅgābhāvāt—from the absence of a particular or distinctive mark; ca—and; ekaḥ—One; bhāvaḥ—Existence.

17. Existence is one, because of the uniformity of the mark viz., that it is existent and because of the absence of any distinguishing mark.

Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:

(English rendering of Śaṅkara Miśra’s commentary called Upaskāra from the 15th century)

But why should not Existence which is present in substance, Attribute and Action, be rendered different by the difference of the determinants of Substance-ness, etc.? So he says:

[Read sūtra 1.2.17 above]

The knowledge or the use of words in this form that it is existent, is the mark of Existence. And it is the same, i.e., non-particularized, in respect of Substance, Attribute, and Action. Therefore one and the same Existence resides in them. Otherwise, Existence having the same denotation or manifestation as Substance-ness, etc, either it would not exist or they would not exist. ‘Viśeṣāliṅgābhāvāt Ca,’—means that there is no difference, as inference which is the mark of viśeṣa, i.e. difference, does not here exist. As in the judgment, ‘This lamp is verily that,’ the mark of distinction is the difference of measure such as length, shortness, etc., so here there is no such mark of distinction. This is the idea.—17.

Commentary: The Bhāṣya of Candrakānta:

(English translation of Candrakānta Tarkālaṅkāra’s Bhāṣya called the Vaiśeṣikabhāṣya from the 19th century)

Candrakānta reads I, ii, 17, with the omission of the word liṅga in viśeṣa-liṅgā-abhāvāt.

Here ends the second chapter of the First Book in the Commentary by Śaṅkara, on the Vaiśeṣika Aphorisms of Kaṇāda of great powers.