Substance (1): Pṛthivī (Earth)

Pṛthivī is the first substance mentioned in all the lists of substance. Annaṃbhaṭṭa has defined earth as that where smell exists gandhavatī pṛthivī.^[1] He has not however, explained the definition elaborately. But here the suffix vat must mean to exist in the relation of inherence (samavāya). Otherwise the definition will be over-pervasive to time and space. For smell is related with time through temporal (kālika) relation and with space through spatial (daiśika) relation. That is why, here the inherent relation is to be accepted. Hence, Viśvanātha has clarified the definition of earth as the inherent cause of smell or odour.^[2]

But then this definition will be non-pervasive also. Annaṃbhaṭṭa here argues from the point of view of the opponent that in a product which is composed of parts having both good and bad odour, smell cannot produced being mutually destroyed by the existence of two contradictory odours. Hence, to such odourless object, this definition wills not apply.^[3] It cannot be said that in this case though there is smell, its perception is rendered impossible. Annaṃbhaṭṭa then refutes the view of the opponents saying that in such cases the different smells of the component parts are distinctly apprehended. He also points out that there is no need to accept a citra (variegated) smell.^[4]

Another objection in this case is that this definition will not apply to pot etc. in first moment of their production which are destroyed just after being produced.

To avoid this the definition is to be amplified as:

gandhasamānādhikaraṇadravyatvāparajātimatvasya vivakṣitatvāt.^[5]

That means earth is that which possesses a sāmānya or jāti that is different from dravyatva but exists in the same locus where gandha exists. The locus of smell is earth which possesses the jātis like dravyatva and pṛthivītva. Hence, the definition of earth is rendered as that which possesses the universal of pṛthivītva.

It can be objected that definition becomes over-pervasive to water etc. also as smell can be perceived in water etc. To this A.B. says that the smell which is perceived in water is due to the existence of earth there.^[6] Somebody may say that everything exists in time, hence all definitions which define an object as the locus of something else become over-pervasive to time. Annaṃbhaṭṭa here replies that here the locus is to be understood as having a relation other than the relating time.^[7] Viśvanātha refers to another objection on the ground that as there is no smell in stone etc., the definition will be non-pervasive to stone etc. He then replies to this objection that though there is smell in stone etc.it cannot be perceived being not strong enough.^[8] Smell is the specific quality of earth. Other dravyas also have smell but that smell is manifested only when mixed up with some particles of earth. Kaṇāda states that earth has four qualities -colour, taste, odour and touch.^[9] Praśastapāda states in his Bhāṣya that earth has colour, taste, smell, touch, number, magnitude, separation, conjunction, disjunction, remoteness, proximity, weight, fluidity and velocity.^[10] Earth has many kinds of colour like whiteness, blackness etc.^[11] There is six kinds of taste, viz., sweet, sour, salt, bitter, pungent and astringent. Earth has two kinds of smell, good and bad. Earth also possesses the quality of neither hot nor cold and touch which is generated by the action of fire.^[12]

Earth is mainly divided into two kinds- nitya (eternal) and anitya (noneternal).^[13] Śivāditya, Praśastapāda, Viśvanātha etc. also uphold the same view. Nitya means that which is not counter positive (pratiyogī) of destruction. That means eternal is that which is not destroyed. Non-eternal is the opposite, i.e., it is the counter positive of destruction. That non-eternal is that which can be destroyed.^[14] In Vākyavṛtti the definitions of nityatva and anityatva are given as nityatvaṃ prāgabhāvapratiyogitve sati dhvaṃsāpratiyogitvaṃ and anityatvaṃ prāgabhāvapratiyogitvānyataravatvaṃ vodhyaṃ.^[15] That eternal is that which is not the counter positive of both prior non-existence and non-existence pertaining to destruction. Non-eternal is the counter positive of both these types of non-existence. The atoms of earth are eternal while things produced from earth-atoms are noneternal.^[16] Non-eternal things are composed of parts.

Non-eternal earth is again of three kinds, body, sense-organ and objects.^[17] Human beings are said to be the body, like ourselves. Body is the seat of enjoyment of the self. Seat here means through which enjoyment is generated in the self. Enjoyment again is the perception of pleasure and pain. The human body is earthly body. Generally, in Indian philosophical circles, body is regarded as composed of five great elements (pañcabhūta). But the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣikas regard human body as made of earth only. Annaṃbhaṭṭa says that earthly body is that which possesses smell. However, in Muktāvalī body is said to be of two kinds–yonija (embryonic) and ayonija (non-embryonic). Yonija has two kinds–jarāyuja i.e., born of the uterus as men, animals etc. and andaja i.e., born of egg as of birds, reptiles etc. Ayonija is divided into two kinds–svedaja and udbhija.^[18] Bodies not born of the mother are those springing from moisture, those shooting out of the earth and so on. The former are represented by worms, gnats etc.; the latter by plants, shrubs, etc. The bodies of the denizens of hell are also not born of the mother.^[19] “The Naiyāyika theory of perception is given by Siddhānta Candroday thus: ātmā manasā saṃyujyate mana indriyeṇendriyamarthena tataḥ pratyakṣam. The organ is united with the external object on the one hand and is on the other hand connected with the mind which acts as a link with the soul. So the contact of the mind is with two things at once, viz. the soul and the organ, and both are the causes of knowledge.”^[20]

Annaṃbhaṭṭa defines viṣaya in his Dīpikā thus viṣaya is that which differs from body and sense-organ.^[21] Viṣaya is the object of sense organ. The earthly objects are clay, stone and such other things. According to Viśvanātha, everything from the dvyaṇuka to the universe comes under the objects.^[22] Praśastapāda states that objects are dyads and their products of the form of earth, stones and plants. Earth, walls, bricks and such others are parts of earth. Stones, jewels, hail stones and such others are parts of stone. Grass, herbs, trees, creepers etc. are plants.^[23]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Tarkasaṃgraha, p.3

[2]:

pṛthivītvaṃ hi gandhasamavāyikāraṇatāvacchedakatayā siddhati anyathā gandhatvāvacchinnasyākasmikatvāpatteḥ. Nyāyasiddhāntamuktāvalī, p. 109

[3]:

nanu surabhyasurabhyavayavāravdhe dravye parasparavirodhena gandhānutpādādavyāptiḥ. Dīpikā on Tarkasaṃgraha, p.6

[4]:

avayavagandhasyaiva tatra pratītisaṃbhavena citragandhānaṅgīkārāt. Ibid., pp. 6-7

[5]:

Ibid., p.7

[6]:

anvayavyatirekābhyāṃ pṛthivīgandhasyaiva tatra bhānāṅgīkārāt. Ibid

[7]:

nanu kālasya sarvādhāratayā sarvesāṃ lakṣaṇānāṃ kāle’tivyāptiriti cet na /
sarvādhāratāprayojakasaṃbandhabhinnasambandhena lakṣaṇātvasyā bhimatatvāt // Ibid

[8]:

na ca pāṣāṇādou gandhābhāvād gandhavatvamaprāptamiti vācyaṃ tatrāpi gandhasatvāt. Nyāyasiddhāntamuktāvalī, p. 112

[9]:

rūparasagandhasparśavatī pṛthivī Vaiśeṣikasūtra, 2.1.1

[10]:

rūparasagandhasparśasaṃkhyāparimāṇapṛthakatvasaṃyogavibhā-gaparatvagurutvadravatvasaṃskāravatī. Vaiśeṣikadarśanam with Praśastapādabhāṣya, pp. 15-16

[11]:

śuklanīlādibhedena nanājātīyaṃ rūpaṃ pṛthivyāmeva Nyāyasiddhāntamuktāvalī, p. 115

[12]:

rūpamanekaprakāraṃ śuklādi. rasaḥ ṣadvidho madhurādiḥ. gandho dvividhaḥ surabhirasurabhiśca. sparśo’syā anuṣṇaśītatve sati pākajaḥ. Vaiśeṣikadarśanam with Praśastapādabhāṣya, p. 16

[13]:

sā dvividhā nityā’nityā ca. Tarkasaṃgraha, p.6

[14]:

nityatvaṃ dhvaṃsāpratiyogitvam.anityatvaṃ dhvaṃsapratiyogitvam. Dīpikā on Tarkasaṃgraha, p.7

[15]:

cf. Tarkasaṃgraha, p.p. 104-105

[16]:

Ibid

[17]:

tat punaḥ pṛthivyādikāryadravyaṃ trividhaṃ śarirendriyaviṣayakasaṃjñām. Vaiśeṣikasūtra, 4.2.1; Tarkasaṃgraha, p.7

[18]:

yonijamayonijaṃ cetyarthaḥ. yonijamapi dvividhaṃ /
jarāyujamaṇḍajaṃ ca. ayonijaṃ svedajodbhijjādikam // Nyāyasiddhāntamuktāvalī, p. 135

[19]:

Ibid

[20]:

Vide., Tarkasaṃgraha, p.107

[21]:

śarīrendriyabhinno viṣayaḥ. Dīpikā on Tarkasaṃgraha, p.7

[22]:

viṣayodvyaṇukādiśca vrahmāṇḍānta udāhṛtaḥ. Bhāṣāpariccheda, p.45

[23]:

viṣayastu dvyaṇukādikramenāravdhastrividho-mṛtpāṣāṇasthāvaralakṣaṇaḥ
…prākāreṣṭakādayo mṛtprakārāḥ. pāṣāṇā-upalamaṇivajradayaḥ … patay iti. —  Vaiśeṣikadarśanam with Praśastapādabhāṣya, p. 19