Sūtra 6.2.2 (Actions of which the motive is invisible)

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 6.2.2:

अभिषेचनोपवास ब्रह्मचर्यगुरुकुलवासवानप्रस्थ यज्ञदान प्रोक्षणदिङ्नक्षत्रमन्त्रकालनियमाश्चादृष्टाय ॥ ६.२.२ ॥

abhiṣecanopavāsa brahmacaryagurukulavāsavānaprastha yajñadāna prokṣaṇadiṅnakṣatramantrakālaniyamāścādṛṣṭāya || 6.2.2 ||

abhiṣeca-na-upavāsa-brahmacarya-gurukulavāsa-vānaprastha-yajña-dāna-prokṣaṇa-dikaṣatra[-dik-nakṣatra?]-kāla-niyamāḥ—Ablution, Fast, brahmacarya, Residence in the family of the preceptor, Life of retirement in the forest, Sacrifice, Gift, Oblation, Direction, Constellation, Seasons and Religious observances; ca—and; adṛṣṭāya—condusive to adṛṣṭa, or invisible fruit.

2. Ablution, fast, brahmacarya, residence in the family of the preceptor, life of retirement in the forest, sacrifice, gift, oblation, directions, constellations, seasons, and religious observances conduce to invisible fruit.

Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:

(English rendering of Śaṅkara Miśra’s commentary called Upaskāra from the 15th century)

He enumerates actions of which the fruits are invisible:

[Read sūtra 6.2.2 above]

‘Adṛṣṭāya’ means for the purpose of the fruit characterised as adṛṣṭa, or for the purpose of the fruit, characterised as heaven and salvation, through the gate of adṛṣṭa. Hereby are included all actions or duties enjoined in the Veda and smṛti and having adṛtṣṭa as their fruit. Here ‘abhiṣecanam means ablution as enjoined in such precepts as “One should bathe in the Gaṅgā (Ganges).” Fast denotes such as is enjoined in such precepts as “One should abstain from food on the eleventh day of the moon.” ‘Brahmacarya’ means cultivation of dharma in general. ‘Gurukulavāsa,’ is that of Brahmacārins or students for the purpose of studying the Veda the twelve-year vow called Mahāvrata, etc., ‘Vānaprastha’ means the duty of those who have retired to the forest on the ripening of age. ‘Yajña’ denotes Rājasūya, Vājapeya, and other sacrifices. ‘Dāna’ is as enjoined by such precepts as “One should give away a cow.” ‘Prokṣaṇa,’ is as enjoined by such precepts as “One should offer rice.” ‘Dik’ denotes such as is enjoined by the precepts. “One should perform sacrifice on an altar inclined towards the east,” “One should eat rice, etc., facing towards the east,” etc. ‘Nakṣatra’ is such as Maghā (the tenth lunar asterism), etc., on the occasion of a śrāddha, etc. ‘Mantra’ denotes “0, ye waters, who are the sources of pleasures,” etc. (Rig Veda X. ix. 1), and other sacred hymns. ‘Kāla’ is as is enjoined by such precepts as “Month after month food shall be given to thee” where one should offer food in the afternoon of the day of new moon, “In summer let one be surrounded with five fires,” “In spring let one deposit the sacrificial fires,” etc. ‘Niyamaḥ’ means conduct, in accordance with the Śāstra, of those who observe the distinction of caste and the four stages of holy living, i.e., Varṇa and Āśrama.

Now, it will be seen that of the dharma, so produced, the soul is the combinative cause, conjunction of the soul and the mind is the non-combinative cause, and faith and the knowledge of the motives or objects characterised as heaven, etc., are the efficient causes.—2.