Vaisheshika-sutra with Commentary
by Nandalal Sinha | 1923 | 149,770 words | ISBN-13: 9789332869165
The Vaisheshika-sutra 2.1.15, 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 5 (‘no visible mark of air’) contained in Chapter 1—Of Earth, Waters, Fire, Air, and Ether—of Book II (of substances).
Sūtra 2.1.15 (No visible mark of Air)
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 2.1.15:
वायुसन्निकर्षे प्रत्यक्षाभावात् दृष्टं लिङ्गं न विद्यते ॥ २.१.१५ ॥
vāyusannikarṣe pratyakṣābhāvāt dṛṣṭaṃ liṅgaṃ na vidyate || 2.1.15 ||
vāyu-sannikarṣe—in contact or association with Air; pratyakṣābhāvāt—from the absence of perception; dṛṣṭam—visible; liṅgam—mark; na—not; vidyate—exists.
15.There being no preception of the association (i.e., universal relation) with Air, there is no visible mark (of the existence of Air).
Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:
(English rendering of Śaṅkara Miśra’s commentary called Upaskāra from the 15th century)
It has been stated that the mark of Air is not like the mark of the visible Substances. But how is it so? Hence he says:
[Read sūtra 2.1.15 above]
There the mark is said to be visible where the universal relation is grasped by perception, as smoke is of fire. But in the case of association with Air, there is no perception of the appearance of the mark in accompaniment with Air. For Air itself not being an object of senseperception, nobody can have the perception. “Things which give Touch, quivering, etc., are Air.” Therefore the meaning is that no such mark exists the pervasion of which can be grasped by perception.—15.