Sūtra 2.1.31 (Individuality of Ether)

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 2.1.31:

तदनुविधानादेकपृथक्त्वञ्चेति ॥ २.१.३१ ॥

tadanuvidhānādekapṛthaktvañceti || 2.1.31 ||

tad-anu-vidhānāt—because it follows or accompanies that, i; e.,. unity. eka-pṛthaktvam—separateness of one individuality; ca—and; Iti, finished

31. And individuality also belongs to Ether, since individuality follows unity.

Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:

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

It may be said, “Let unity by all means belong to Ether. Let, it also have extreme largeness as it is universal. Let Conjunction and Disjunction also belong to it as it is the non-combinative cause of Sound, But how can individuality belong to it?” So he says:

[Read sūtra 2.1.31 above]

Individuality is proved by this that individuality regularly goes together with unity. ‘Iti’ indicates the end of the chapter.

The subject-matter of the chapter is the delinition [delineation?] or statement of the characteristics possessing^- particular Attributes and which are not the objects of mental percept ion or perception by the internal organ, lienee the characteristics of Earth, Water, Eire, Air, and Ether and. in passing, of the divine Soul also, are stated in this chapter. Thus Earth, possesses fourteen Attributes, and these Attributes are Colour, Taste, Smell, Touch. Number. Measure, Separateness, Conjunction, Disjunction, Priority, Posteriority, Gravity, Fluidity, and Impression. Exactly the same number of Attributes, with the exception of Smell and addition of Viscidity, belong to Water. These same Attributes, with the exception of Taste, Smell, Viscidity, and Gravity

belong to Fire, and with the exception of Smell, Taste, Colour, Gravity, Viscidity, and Fluidity, belong to Air. With the addition of Sound, the five Attributes beginning with Number, belong to Ether. Only the five Attributes beginning with Number belong to Space and Time. The five Attributes beginning with Number, together with Priority, Posteriority, and Impetus, belong to Mind. The five Attributes beginning with Number, and Cognition, Desire, and Volition belong to Īśvara.—31.

Here ends the first chapter of the second book in the Commentary given by Sankara to the Vaiśeṣika aphorisms of Kaṇāda of great powers.

Commentary: The Vivṛti of Jayanārāyaṇa:

(English extracts of Jayanārāyaṇa Tarkapañcānana’s Vivṛti or ‘gloss’ called the Kaṇādasūtravivṛti from the 17th century)

The subject-matter of this chapter is the definition of Substances possessing particular Attributes which do not appear in that which possesses ‘bhāvanā,’ i.e., impression or meditative understanding. Substances are the five elements and God.

Commentary: The Vivṛti of Jayanārāyaṇa:

(English extracts of Jayanārāyaṇa Tarkapañcānana’s Vivṛti or ‘gloss’ called the Kaṇādasūtravivṛti from the 17th century)

Plurality of Souls is proved by the differences of the products of the Soul, viz., pleasure and pain, seeing that at one and the same time an effect in the form of pleasure is produced in one Soul, while in another Soul am effect in the form of pain is produced. But in the case of Ether there is no d differenciation [differentiation?] of Sound which is its mark, whereby a multiplicity of Ether might be established. Nor is there any other mark which can establish a plurality of Ether. So that no account of the absence of proof, and no account of simplicity, Ether is one and not many.