Sūtra 2.1.27 (Therefore of Ether)

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 2.1.27:

परिशेषाल्लिङ्गमाकाशस्य ॥ २.१.२७ ॥

pariśeṣālliṅgamākāśasya || 2.1.27 ||

pariśeṣāt—from exhaustion; liṅgam—mark; ākāśasya—of Ether.

27. By the method of exhaustion (Sound) is the mark of Ether.

Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:

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

He states why this method of exhaustion lias been applied:

[Read sūtra 2.1.27 above]

‘Sound’ is the complement of the aphorism. Here too a Substance, over and above the eight Substances, is proved by analogous inference, in this way that, being an Attribute, Sound, like Colour, etc., must reside somewhere. And it is an Attribute, because, like Colour, etc., it belongs to a ‘class’ capable of being apprehended by only one external sense. being non-eternal, it resembles knowledge, etc., both of which are combined with ‘Universal Substances.’.And its non-eternality will be shown later on. The Substance, proved by exhaustion, is eternal, as there is no reason for the supposition of constituent parts in it. and is also universal, because Sound is observed in all places. 27.

Commentary: The Bhāṣya of Candrakānta:

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

The idea cf. Kaṇāda is that Time as well as Space are really identical with Ether.