Sūtra 2.1.2 (Characteristics of Water)

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 2.1.2:

रूपरसगन्धस्पर्शवती पृथिवी ॥ २.१.१ ॥

rūparasasparśavatya āpo dravāḥ snigdhāḥ || 2.1.2 ||

rūpa-rasa sparśavatyaḥ—possessed of Colour, Taste, and Touch; āpaḥ—Waters; dravāḥ—Fluid; snigdhāḥ—Liquid, viscid.

2. Waters possess Colour, Taste, and Touch, and are fluid and viscid.

Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:

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

He states the characteristic of Water mentioned after Earth:

[Read sūtra 2.1.2 above]

The Colour, Taste, and Touch are respectively White, Sweet, and Cool only. Fluidness is constitutional but Viscidity is by nature or essential.

Objection. But it is not correct to say that the Colour of Water is only White, because blueness is observed in the water of the river Yamunā, etc. That the Taste is only the sweet is also not correct, because acidness, bitterness, etc., are observed in the juice of the blackberry, karavīra, etc., That the Touch is only the Cool one is also not proved, because at mid-day hotness also is observed. Constiutional Fluidity again is too limited, as it is absent in ice, hail-stone, etc. Viscidity also is not proved as essential and is too wide, as it is not perceived in Water, and is perceived in clarified butter and other terrene objects. Moreover Water-ness is not a class even, which may be the characteristic of Water, because it is not proved on account of the non-existence of that which will establish it. Nor is it proved by the characteristic of the determinant of its being the combinative cause of Viscidity, because the nature of Viscidity, appearing in both the effect and what is not the effect, is not the determinant of the state of being the effect. Therefore in the absence of a differentia. Water is not differentiated.

Answer. All this objection cannot be raised. For non-luminous white colour alone is really the differentia of Water, the blueness in the Water of the river Yamunā, etc., is due to the condition or environment formed by the receptacle, and whiteness is observed in the Water of the Yamunā when thrown up in the sky. Hence the characteristic of Water is the possession of the class which is directly pervaded by Substance-ness and which is present in colour which is not co-existent with-other than non-luminous white Colour. The Taste also is only the sweet one; the bitterness, acidness, etc., in the juice of the blackberry, karavīra, etc., are due to the condition or environment supplied by the presence of particles of Earth. It should not be said that sweetness is not at all perceived in Water, since it is revealed after the eating of some astringent substance. Nor does this sweetness belong to the yellow myrobalan itself and is capable of being revealed by Water, because only the astringent Taste is observed in it. As in āmalakī so in yellow myrobalan, only the astringent is the Taste, the same alone being perceived. Nor again is there non-production of Tasto on account of the conflict of Attributes, because the parts also there possess astringent Taste. The tradition of six Tastes is duo to its producing the respective effects of those Tastos. Manifold Taste again is removed simply by the absence of proof. In the case of manifold clour however the observation of the canvas itself is the proof. The origination of fragrant and non-fragrant parts is removed by the conflict of Attributes. In the case of manifold Smell, there is absence of proof. Therefore the sweetness which is observed in Water immediately after the eating of yellow myrobalan, belongs to Water only. Its manifstation however depends upon the proximity of some particular Substance, as the manifestation of coolness in water arises from its association with sandalwood. The bitterness that is perceived immediately after the eating of karkati (a cucumber-like fruit) belongs to the karkati alone, because bitterness is observed in its parts even without the drinking of water, or it may be that the bitterness of the bilious Substance present at the tip of the tongue is felt there. Hence the second characteristic of water is the possession of the class which is directly pervaded by Substance-ness and which is co-existent with Taste which is not co-existent with other than sweet Taste. In like manner the third characteristic of water is the possession of the class which is pervaded by Substance-ness and which is co-existent with cool Touch. The hotness that appears at mid-day is really of Fire, as it depends upon its presence and absence. Similarly constitutional Fluidity is by itself the fourth characteristic; in other words, Water-ness is the possession of the class which is pervaded by Substance-ness and which is present in what possesses constitutional Fluidity. Liquidity or Viscidity, however, is a particular Attribute, and not a Genus which is also a Species, like milk-ness and curd-ness; because the distinction of viscid, more viscid, and most viscid, is observed, but such distinction is not possible in the case of a class. It cannot be said “Let Viscidity be an Attribute. But what is the evidence that it is present in water?” for it is inferred from the mixing or compounding of barley, sand, etc., by water. A compound is a particular combination or conjunction caused by Viscidity and Fluidity. It is not due to Fluidity alone, because no compounding is established by the Fluidity of glass or gold; nor is it due to Viscidity alone, because no compounding is established by condensed clarified butter, etc. Therefore by the method of agreement and difference it is proved to be caused by Viscidity and Fluidity. And this compounding, being seen to take place in barley, sand, etc., by water, confirms Viscidity in Water. This argument is based upon wide experience itself, as Viscidity is an object of senseperception. Viscidity which however is found in clarified butter, etc., is of the Water which is the occasional cause of that clarified butter, and it appears as though belonging to the clarified butter through combination with the conjoint. So also in the case of oil, juice, etc. And Water which is the occasional cause of clarified butter, contains a preponderance of Viscidity; therefore owing to this very preponderance of Viscidity, this Water does not counteract Fire. If Viscidity were a particular Attribute of Earth, then, like Smell, it would have been present in all terrene objects. Lastly, Water-ness is a class which is directly pervaded by Substance-ness, because it has been proved that a class which determines the being the combinative cause of the conjunction present only in objects possessing Viscidity, is common to the ultimate atoms.—2.