Vaisheshika-sutra with Commentary
by Nandalal Sinha | 1923 | 149,770 words | ISBN-13: 9789332869165
The Vaisheshika-sutra 2.1.11, English translation, including commentaries such as the Upaskara of Shankara Mishra, the Vivriti of Jayanarayana-Tarkapanchanana and the Bhashya of Chandrakanta. The Vaisheshika Sutras teaches the science freedom (moksha-shastra) and the various aspects of the soul (eg., it's nature, suffering and rebirth under the law of karma). This is sutra 1 (‘air is a substance’) contained in Chapter 1—Of Earth, Waters, Fire, Air, and Ether—of Book II (of substances).
Sūtra 2.1.11 (Air is a Substance)
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 2.1.11:
अद्रव्यवत्त्वेन द्रव्यम् ॥ २.१.११ ॥
adravyavattvena dravyam || 2.1.11 ||
a-dravya-vattvena—by not containing Substance (as its support); dravyam—Substance.
11. Air is a Substance, because it does not contain or reside in Substance.
Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:
(English rendering of Śaṅkara Miśra’s commentary called Upaskāra from the 15th century)
‘Having proved Air as a whole made up of parts, which is the foundation of Touch capable of being perceived, he says, with a view to prove Air characterised as ultimate atoms:
[Read sūtra 2.1.11 above]
‘Dravyavat’ means that which has Substance as its support. ‘Adravyat,’ i.e., not ‘dravyavat,’ means not resident in or suported by Substance. Thus like Ether, Air characterised as ultimate atom is a Substance, because the other Predicables reside in substances? because it has been stated that the being resident, i.e., dependence, applies elsewhere than in eternal Substances, and because the origination of a large whole made up of parts is capable of being demonstrated by the evolution of dyads, etc., from the formation of a dyad by two ultimate atoms, and so on.—11.