Vaisheshika-sutra with Commentary
by Nandalal Sinha | 1923 | 149,770 words | ISBN-13: 9789332869165
The Vaisheshika-sutra 9.1.12, 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 2 (‘omniscience of the united yogins, how possible’) contained in Chapter 1—Of Ordinary Perception of Non-Existence and of Transcendental Perception—of Book IX (of ordinary and transcendental cognition...).
Sūtra 9.1.12 (Omniscience of the united yogins, how possible)
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 9.1.12:
तथा द्रव्यान्तरेषु प्रत्यक्षम् ॥ ९.१.१२ ॥
tathā dravyāntareṣu pratyakṣam || 9.1.12 ||
tathā—similarly; dravya-antareṣu—in the case of other substances; pratyakṣaṃ—perceptual.
12. Perceptual (cognition is) similarly (produced) in the case of the other substances.
Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:
(English rendering of Śaṅkara Miśra’s commentary called Upaskāra from the 15th century)
Do then the united have cognition in respect of the soul only? How therefore can they possess omniscience? In reply to these possible queries, he says:
[Read sūtra 9.1.12 above]
“Cognition is produced”—this is implied by the context. ‘Tathā’ means by the mind, only as favourably influenced by, or accompanied with, the virtue or power, born of yoga or holy communion. ‘Dravya-antareṣu’ means in respect of the four kinds of ultimate atoms, the mind, air, space, time and ether. By the term, substance, are included attribute, action and genus inhering in substance; the predicable, species, combination; also gravity, elasticity, etc., appertaining to things which are not objects of perception; and also volition, the source of vitality (or spontaneity), non-discriminative thought, dharma, adharma, etc., residing in the soul. For the favourable influence of the virtue or power born of yoga is equivalent to a perceptive apparatus; otherwise omniscience would not be affirmed (of those who are united.)—12.