Vaisheshika-sutra with Commentary
by Nandalal Sinha | 1923 | 149,770 words | ISBN-13: 9789332869165
The Vaisheshika-sutra 2.2.25, 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 is transient, and not eternal’) contained in Chapter 2—Of the Five Bhutas, Time, and Space—of Book II (of substances).
Sūtra 2.2.25 (Sound is transient, and not eternal)
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 2.2.25:
गुणस्य सतो ऽपवर्गः कर्मभिः साधर्म्यम् ॥ २.२.२५ ॥
guṇasya sato 'pavargaḥ karmabhiḥ sādharmyam || 2.2.25 ||
guṇasya—of Attribute; sataḥ—being; apavargaḥ—speedy destruction; karmabhiḥ—with Actions; sādharmmyam—resemblance.
25. The resemblance (of Sound), although it is an Attribute, with Actions, consists in its speedy destruction.
Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:
(English rendering of Śaṅkara Miśra’s commentary called Upaskāra from the 15th century)
If it is said that, as it speedily disappears, like Throwing upwards, etc, therefore Sound is an Action; so he says:
[Read sūtra 2.2.25 above]
‘Apavargaḥ’ means speedy destruction. And this, even in the case of Attribute-ness, is dependent upon the incidence of a rapidly appearing destroyer, in the same way as duality, etc., are. This constitutes only its resemblance to Actions, and not its Action-ness. The quality of undergoing rapid destruction which you (i.e., the objector) advance as as an argument, is not one-pointed i.e., multifarious, because it is found in Duality, Knowledge, Pleasure, Pain, etc., as well. This is the import.—25.