Vaisheshika-sutra with Commentary
by Nandalal Sinha | 1923 | 149,770 words | ISBN-13: 9789332869165
The Vaisheshika-sutra 5.2.5, 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 (‘cause of evaporation of water’) contained in Chapter 2—Of Non-volitional Action—of Book V (of investigation of action).
Sūtra 5.2.5 (Cause of evaporation of water)
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 5.2.5:
नाड्या वायुसंयोगादारोहणम् ॥ ५.२.५ ॥
nāḍyā vāyusaṃyogādārohaṇam || 5.2.5 ||
nādyaḥ—the sun’s rays; vāyu-saṃyogāt—through conjunction with air; ārohaṇam—ascent.
5. The sun’s rays (cause) the ascent (of water), through conjunction with air.
Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:
(English rendering of Śaṅkara Miśra’s commentary called Upaskāra from the 15th century)
But the falling in rain, due to gravity, would be possible, if water lying on earth went up. But how does this take place? So he says:
[Read sūtra 5.2.5 above]
The word, ‘cause’ (verb), is the complement of the aphorism. The rays of the sun cause the going up of water, through conjunction with air.
In the summer, the sun’s rays, being impelled by air, cause the ascent of water. This is the meaning.
Where the reading is “nāḍyavāyusaṃyogāt” there it should he interpreted as conjunction with air related to the sun’s rays.—5.