Sūtra 2.2.2 (Smell is essential in Earth)

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 2.2.2:

व्यवस्थितः पृथिव्यां गन्धः ॥ २.२.२ ॥

vyavasthitaḥ pṛthivyāṃ gandhaḥ || 2.2.2 ||

vyavasthitaḥ—established; pṛthivyām—in Earth; gandhaḥ—Smell.

2. Smell is established in Earth.

Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:

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

He says that essential Smell is the mark of Earth:

[Read sūtra 2.2.2 above]

Established in the Earth’—i.e., determined by absence of connection as well as connection with other objects.^[1] The meaning is that Smell is the mark, because it serves to differentiate Earth from objects of similar and dissimilar classes. For Earth has Smell only and only Earth has Smell. It is therefore established that Smell which differentiates Earth from the eight similars beginning with Water, and the five dissimilars beginning with Attribute, is essential to Earth.—2.

Commentary: The Vivṛti of Jayanārāyaṇa:

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

‘Established,’ i.e., ascertained or undoubted, as there is nothing to oppose it.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

“Absence of connection as well as connection with other objects.” i.e., Smell is always-found in essential agreement with Earth and in essential difference from Non-Earth.