Vaisheshika-sutra with Commentary
by Nandalal Sinha | 1923 | 149,770 words | ISBN-13: 9789332869165
The Vaisheshika-sutra 2.2.7, 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 7 (‘like air, time is a substance, and is eternal’) contained in Chapter 2—Of the Five Bhutas, Time, and Space—of Book II (of substances).
Sūtra 2.2.7 (Like Air, Time is a substance, and is eternal)
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 2.2.7:
द्रव्यत्व नित्यत्वे वायुना व्याख्याते ॥ २.२.७ ॥
dravyatva nityatve vāyunā vyākhyāte || 2.2.7 ||
dravyatva-nityatve—substanceness and eternality; vāyunā—by Air; vyākhyāte—explained.
7. The Substance-ness and eternality (of Time) are explained by (the explanation of the Substance-ness and eternality of) Air.
Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:
(English rendering of Śaṅkara Miśra’s commentary called Upaskāra from the 15th century)
It may be said, “Let Time be proved. But there is no proof that it is a Substance, nor that it is eternal.” So he says:
[Read sūtra 2.2.7 above]
The meaning is that, as the ultimate atom of Air is a Substance,because it possesses Attributes, and is eternal, because it is a Substance which does not contain any other Substance, so also is Time.—7