Vaisheshika-sutra with Commentary
by Nandalal Sinha | 1923 | 149,770 words | ISBN-13: 9789332869165
The Vaisheshika-sutra 5.2.3, 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 3 (‘cause of rain’) contained in Chapter 2—Of Non-volitional Action—of Book V (of investigation of action).
Sūtra 5.2.3 (Cause of rain)
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 5.2.3:
अपां संयोगाभावे गुरुत्वात् पतनम् ॥ ५.२.३ ॥
apāṃ saṃyogābhāve gurutvāt patanam || 5.2.3 ||
apām—of waters; saṃyoga-abhāve—in the absence of conjunction; gurutvāt—from gravity; patanam—falling.
3. The falling of waters, in the absence of conjunction, is due to gravity.—201.
Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:
(English rendering of Śaṅkara Miśra’s commentary called Upaskāra from the 15th century)
Now, in the section on the examination of action combined with fluid (which includes liquid) substance, he says:
[Read sūtra 5.2.3 above]
The falling of waters, in the form of a shower, is caused by gravity, which is its non-combinative cause. It takes place in the absence of conjunction, i.e., conjunction with the cloud. Therefore, absence of conjunction is the efficient cause. This is the meaning.—3.