Vaisheshika-sutra with Commentary
by Nandalal Sinha | 1923 | 149,770 words | ISBN-13: 9789332869165
The Vaisheshika-sutra 7.1.24, 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 4 (‘space is all-pervading’) contained in Chapter 1—Of Colour, Taste, Smell, and Touch, and Magnitude—of Book VII (of the examination of attributes and of combination).
Sūtra 7.1.24 (Space is all-pervading)
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 7.1.23:
गुणैर्दिग्व्याख्याता ॥ ७.१.२४ ॥
guṇairdigvyākhyātā || 7.1.24 ||
guṇaiḥ—by attributes; dik—space; vyākhyātā—explained.
24. By attributes, Space is explained (to be all-pervading).
Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:
(English rendering of Śaṅkara Miśra’s commentary called Upaskāra from the 15th century)
He states the argument for the infinite magnitude of space:—
[Read sūtra 7.1.24 above]
The meaning is that, ‘guṇaiḥ,’ i.e., by attributes characterised as priority and posteriority inherent in all dense bodies, and appearing in the forms of the intuitions of the East, the West, etc., common to all persons inhabiting all the island or divisions of the globe, space also is explained under the aspect of pervasion. For, it will be mentioned later on that in the production of (the notions of) priority and posteriority, the cause is relative understanding having for its subjectmatter larger and smaller number of conjunctions with the conjunct. Moreover, the supposition of a plurality of space is contravened by (the fault of) superfluity of supposition.
Objection.—How, then, can there be the intuition and the expression or reference, namely, “Ten spaces (i.e., quarters)”?
Answer.—The objection does not arise, since it has been already stated that they are due to particular upādhi or external conditions.—24.