Sūtra 7.2.28 (Combination is one)

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 7.2.28:

शब्दार्थावसम्बन्धौ ॥ ७.२.१८ ॥

śabdārthāvasambandhau || 7.2.18 ||

tattvaṃ—that-ness; One-ness. Unity. Bhāvena, by Existence.

28. The Unity (of Combination, is explained) by Existence.—309;

Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:

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

He proves Unity:

[Read sūtra 7.2.28 above]

‘Explained’ is the complement. ‘Tattvaṃ,’ i.e., Unity,‘bhāvena,’ i.e., by Existence, is explained. As one Existence everywhere induces the cognition of the existent, so one Combination everywhere induces the cognition of the combined. Moreover the inferential mark of Combination is not differentiated, nor is there any other particular mark. For, we do not find any particular mark, i.e., differentiating mark, of Combination, whereby we could recognise its diversity. For the very same reason, Combination is eternal; for, as in the case of Existence, non-eternality cannot appropriately belong to it which is undifferentiated even in the difference of Space, Time, etc.

Objection.—If combination is nothing but this relation, then there may be disunion of threads and cloth, or of the cloth and its colour.

Answer.—This cannot be, for in the absence of (previous) uncorrelated existence, disunion is not possible. For, there is no unrelated existence or colour and that which possesses the colour, or of the parts and the whole, that there may be a disunion between them.

Objection.—But their uncorrelated existence may be brought to pass.

Answer.—It cannot, for the effectuation is contravened by being never so experienced.

The followers of Prabhākara hold that Combination is manifold and also non-eternal. But this is not a reasonable view to take, for the intuition of “Colour is destroyed,” whereas it is the intuition of no body that the Combination of colour is destroyed.

The view of the school of Nyāya that Combination is perceptible to the sense is also not valid. Combination is supersensuous, for being different from the Soul, it is at the same time in a state of being uncombined, like the Mind, or like Time, etc.—28.

Commentary: The Bhāṣya of Candrakānta:

(English translation of Candrakānta Tarkālaṅkāra’s Bhāṣya called the Vaiśeṣikabhāṣya from the 19th century)

Combination is proved to be an attribute in the same way as is existence, and further, like existence, Combination also is produced by itself, i.e., does not depend upon any other Combination for its production.

Here ends the second chapter in the seventh book of śaṇkara’s Commentary on the Vaiśeṣika Aphorisms.