Vaisheshika-sutra with Commentary
by Nandalal Sinha | 1923 | 149,770 words | ISBN-13: 9789332869165
The Vaisheshika-sutra 2.1.25, 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 (‘sound not an attribute of tangible things’) contained in Chapter 1—Of Earth, Waters, Fire, Air, and Ether—of Book II (of substances).
Sūtra 2.1.25 (Sound not an Attribute of tangible things)
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 2.1.25:
कार्यान्तराप्रादुर्भावाच्च शब्दः स्पर्शवतामगुणः ॥ २.१.२५ ॥
kāryāntarāprādurbhāvācca śabdaḥ sparśavatāmaguṇaḥ || 2.1.25 ||
kāryāntarāprādurbhāvāt—because of the non-appearance of another or a different effect; ca—and; śabdaḥ—sound; sparśavatām—of thing possessing Touch; aguṇaḥ—not attribute.
25. Sound is not an Attribute of things possessing Touch, because of the non-appearance of (similar) other effects.
Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:
(English rendering of Śaṅkara Miśra’s commentary called Upaskāra from the 15th century)
It might be said that Sound is observed in a lute, flute, tabour, conchshell, drum, etc,, which are effects and that consequently it is preceded by a like Attribute in their causes. So he says:
[Read sūtra 2.1.25 above]
It would have boon so, if, as when Colour, Taste, etc., are observed in yarns, potsherd, etc., other Colour, Taste, etc., homogeneous with the former, are also observed in a cloth, pot, etc., so the congener of the sound which is observed in the constituent parts of a lute, flute, tabour, etc., were also observed in the wholes made up of those, i.e., lute, flute, tabour, etc. But this is not the case; for, in fact, it is seen that a lute, etc., are originated by constituent parts which are destitute of all Sound, whereas it is not seen that a cloth, a pot, etc., have their origin in yarns, potsherds, etc., which are destitute of Colour. Moreover if Sound were a particular Attribute of tangible things, then the relation of high and low and lower tones, etc., would not be observed in it. For Colour, etc., which appear in a single composite whole are not observed to be varying in degree. Therefore Sound is not a distinctive Attribute of tangible things.—25.
Commentary: The Bhāṣya of Candrakānta:
(English translation of Candrakānta Tarkālaṅkāra’s Bhāṣya called the Vaiśeṣikabhāṣya from the 19th century)
Candrakānta reads II.I.25 as two aphorisms, viz., Also because of the non-appearance of different effects (Kārya-antara-aprādurbhāvāt ca), and Sound (is) not an attribute of tangible things (Śabdaḥ sparśavatām aguṇaḥ)[?],—the meaning, however, remaining the same.