Vaisheshika-sutra with Commentary
by Nandalal Sinha | 1923 | 149,770 words | ISBN-13: 9789332869165
The Vaisheshika-sutra 3.1.5, 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 (‘the body or the senses are not the seat of perception, continued’) contained in Chapter 1—Of the Marks of Inference—of Book III (of soul and mind).
Sūtra 3.1.5 (The body or the senses are not the seat of perception, continued)
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 3.1.5:
कार्येषु ज्ञानात् ॥ ३.१.५ ॥
kāryeṣu jñānāt || 3.1.5 ||
kāryeṣu—in the effects; jñānāt—because there would be consciousness.
5. Because (there would be) consciousness in the effects.
Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:
(English rendering of Śaṅkara Miśra’s commentary called Upaskāra from the 15th century)
It may be added in objection that consciousness exists in a minute degree in the components of the body, whereas it is manifest in the body, and that therefore it cannot be said that it is not preceded by a like attribute in the cause, nor does there arise the impossibility of uniformity. Anticipating this, he says:
[Read sūtra 3.1.5 above]
If, as a matter of fact, consciousness existed in the primary causes of the body, namely the ultimate atoms, then it would also exist in the water-pot, etc., which are the effects originated by them also. Moreover, consciousness would exist in products such as water-pots, etc., also because the particular attributes of Earth pervade all terrene existence. But consciousness is not observed to exist in these products.—5.