Vaisheshika-sutra with Commentary
by Nandalal Sinha | 1923 | 149,770 words | ISBN-13: 9789332869165
The Vaisheshika-sutra 5.2.20, 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 0 (‘above continued’) contained in Chapter 2—Of Non-volitional Action—of Book V (of investigation of action).
Sūtra 5.2.20 (Above continued)
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 5.2.20:
तेजसो द्रव्यान्तरेणावरणाच्च ॥ ५.२.२० ॥
tejaso dravyāntareṇāvaraṇācca || 5.2.20 ||
tejasaḥ—of light; dravya-antareṇa—by another substance; āvaraṇāt—because of obscuration; ca—and also.
20. (Darkness is non-existence), also because (it is produced) from the obscuration of light by another substance.
Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:
(English rendering of Śaṅkara Miśra’s commentary called Upaskāra from the 15th century)
What, then, causes the (perception of motion (in darkness)? He gives the answer:
[Read sūtra 5.2.20 above]
Light being obscured by another moving substance, non-existence of light is not observed in the places falling behind, and is observed in the places lying before. It is from this resemblance of the nonexistence of light to the moving substance, that, motion is mistaken in it, but not that motion is real in it. This is the meaning, the perception appearing so (i.e., erroneous) from agreement and difference. (That is, whenever a body in motion obscures light, the shadow caused thereby also moves; and where the obscuring body is not in motion the shadow also does not move).
Darkness, (then), is non-existence of every trace of light possessing developed or appreciable colour.—20.