Substance (9): Manas (Mind)

Nyāya-Vaiśeṣikas, accept manas (mind) as a separate substance and enlist it as the last one of the nine dravyas. It is the internal sense (antarendriya). Annaṃbhaṭṭa defines manas as the internal organ which is the instrument of the cognition of pleasure, pain etc. It is connected with each human self and as such it is infinite. The mind is atomic in size and eternal.^[1] In his view, manas is infinite because it is different for different bodies. Therefore, there is difference of knowledge in different individual. If it is one, then one’s pleasure will be pleasure of all, one’s pain will be pain of all. So, manas is different according to different bodies. Manas is Atomic (anu) size. If it is of the largest size, then it will be conjoined with all sense organs at the same time and produce different perceptions, such as colours, smells tastes, sounds etc. at the same time. But they are not possible to be perceived simultaneously. Each perception comes successively because conjunction of the mind with the sense-organs is possible only successively. Therefore, manas is atomic in size.^[2] Manas can come into contact with one sense only at one time. Manas is eternal because it is partless and self-subsistent. Annaṃbhaṭṭa gives another definition of manas in his Dīpikā thus: sparśarahitatve sati kriyāvatvaṃmanaso lakṣanaṃ. That means manas is that which is touchless but possesses action.^[3] This definition of manas given by Annaṃbhaṭṭa is free from the defect of over-pervasion. The first four substances, viz., pṛthivī, ap, tejaḥ, vāyu have the quality of touch and the last four substances viz., ākāśa, kāla, dik and ātmā do not possess action. Therefore, this definition is faultless.^[4]

Praśastapāda, in his Bhāṣya, mentions eight guṇas of manas which are: number, magnitude, distinctness, conjunction, disjunction, remoteness, proximity and velocity.^[5] These are general qualities. Manas has no special quality. The NyāyaVaiśeṣika process of perception depends on the existence of the mind. Without mind it is not possible to have perception. In the soul comes into contact with the manas, the manas with the sense-organs and the sense-organs with the objects, these are important conditions of perception. The mind is necessary for perception of external objects. The mind is controlled by the self and it controls the external sense-organs. The self-perceives the external objects by the external sense-organs being controlled by the manas.^[6]

Gautama argues that the mind cannot be all-pervading (vibhu) because of its mentions in the sutra na gatyabhāvāt.^[7] If the mind is all-pervading, then it will not be able to change place and in that case it will not possess the tendency to be conjoined with different sense-organs. This will again make perception impossible.^[8] Śivāditya, states that each self has one, manas, by which the self can travel from one body to another. The self is innumerable, so manas is also innumerable.^[9] Manas can move very quickly because of which it can come into contact with the external sense-organs in quick succession.