Vaisheshika-sutra with Commentary
by Nandalal Sinha | 1923 | 149,770 words | ISBN-13: 9789332869165
The Vaisheshika-sutra 10.2.7, 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 7 (‘efficient causes declared’) contained in Chapter 2—Of Other Forms of Cognition—of Book X (of the differences of the attributes of the soul and of the threefold causes).
Sūtra 10.2.7 (Efficient causes declared)
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 10.2.7:
संयुक्तसमवायादग्नेर्वैशेषिकम् ॥ १०.२.७ ॥
saṃyuktasamavāyādagnervaiśeṣikam || 10.2.7 ||
saṃyukta-samavāyāt—through combination in the conjunct; agneḥ—of fire; vaiśeṣikaṃ—distinctive attribute.
7. The distinctive attribute of Fire, (i.e., heat), (becomes an efficient cause), through combination in the conjunct.
Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:
(English rendering of Śaṅkara Miśra’s commentary called Upaskāra from the 15th century)
Having thus ascertained causality determined by the combinative cause, he begins a new section for ascertaining efficient causality.
[Read sūtra 10.2.7 above]
‘Vaiśeṣika’ [vaiśeṣikaṃ], distinctive attribute, ‘agneḥ,’ of fire, in other word heat, becomes an efficient cause in relation to the effects (colour, etc.,) produced by burning or baking, through combination (of colour, etc..) in the conjunct, (i.e., the water-pot placed in fire.) This is indicative • in relation to cognition everything possesses efficient causality. Understanding, pleasure, pain, desire, aversion, volition, merit, demerit, and impression possess efficient causality only. It should be observed that this system or elaboration of thought has the purposes of establishing the mutual differences of pleasure, etc.—7.
Commentary: The Vivṛti of Jayanārāyaṇa:
(English extracts of Jayanārāyaṇa Tarkapañcānana’s Vivṛti or ‘gloss’ called the Kaṇādasūtravivṛti from the 17th century)
* * * * The general definition of an efficient cause is to be understood to be a cause other than the combinative and non-combinative causes. * * * *