Divisions of Substance

The Vaiśeṣikas accept nine kinds of substance. These are:

1. pṛthivī (earth),
2. ap (water),
3. tejas [tejaḥ] (light),
4. vāyu (air),
5. ākāśa (ether),
6. kāla (time),
7. dik (space),
8. ātmā (self) and
9. manas (mind).

According to Kaṇāda, Śivāditya, Keśava Miśra, Annaṃbhaṭṭa, there are the nine kinds of substance.^[1] In the Bhāṣāpariccheda also we find nine kinds of substance.^[2]

Annaṃbhaṭṭa points out that the word ‘nine’ is used to limit the number of substance to nine only. According to Bhāṭṭa school of Mīmāṃsakas, darkness is a dravya. They opine that darkness has blue colour and movement. According to the definition of dravya, that which has quality and action is to be regarded as a dravya. Hence darkness is also a dravya, since it has the quality of blue colour and action.^[3] Moreover, tamas is not like any one of the five i.e., ākāśa, kāla, dik, ātmā and manas because of the absence of rūpa in them.^[4] It cannot be included in air as darkness does not possess touch and constant motion.^[5] Darkness cannot also be included in tejas because of the absence of bright colour and hot touch.^[6] It cannot come under water because of the absence of cold-touch.^[7] Similarly darkness is different from earth also, for earth has smell as its special quality and possesses the quality of touch. Both these are absent in darkness. Therefore, darkness is to be accepted as the tenth substance.^[8] Against this contention of the Mīmāṃsakas, Annaṃbhaṭṭa points out that darkness cannot be the tenth substance. Darkness is only the negation of light. Annaṃbhaṭṭa argues that darkness cannot be regarded as a substance having colour. Though it is perceived by the eyes, it is perceived only when there is no light. But it is the general rule that in the visual perception of any substance having colour, light is a cause, while darkness is perceived only in the absence of light.^[9] There is no coexistence between darkness and light. Annaṃbhaṭṭa maintains that the experience as ‘Blue darkness moves’ is illusory. In his view, darkness is the absence of vivid and luminous light.^[10] Thus, tamas cannot be considered as a tenth substance and substance is only nine.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

pṛthivyāpastejo vāyurākāśaṃkālo digātmā mana iti dravyāṇi. Vaiśeṣikasūtra, 1.1.5; tatra dravyāṇi pṛthivyap-tejo-vāyvākāśakāladigātmāmanāṃsi navaiva Saptapadārthī, p. 15; Tarkabhāṣā, 306

[2]:

kṣityaptejomarudvyomakāladigdehino manaḥ. Bāṣāpariccheda, p.8

[3]:

nīlaṃ tamaścalatītyavādhitapratītivalānnīlarūpādhāratayā kriyādhāratayā ca tamaso dravyatvaṃ tāvat siddham. Dīpikā on Tarkasaṃgraha, p.3

[4]:

tatra tamaso nākāśādipañcake’ntarbhāvaḥ rūpavattvāt. Ibid

[5]:

na vāyou, sparśābhāvāt sadāgatimatvābhāvācca. Ibid

[6]:

nāpi tejasi, bhāsvararūpābhāvāt uṣṇasparśābhāvācca. Ibid., pp.3-4

[7]:

nāpi jale, sītasparśābhāvāt nīlarūpavatvācca. Ibid

[8]:

nāpi pṛthivyaṃ, gandhābhāvāt sparśarahitatvācca. Ibid., p.4

[9]:

tamo na rūpidravyamālokāsahakṛtacakṣurgrāhyatvādālokābhāvavat rūpidravyacākṣuṣapramāyāmālokasya kāraṇatvāt. Ibid

[10]:

prouḍaprakāśakatejassāmānyābhāvastamaḥ, tatra nīlaṃ tamascalati iti pratyayo bhramaḥ. ato nava dravyāṇīti siddham. Ibid