Qualities (3): Gandha (Smell)

Gandha (Smell) is the third guṇa and it is a special guṇa.

Praśastapāda gives the definition–

gandho ghrāṇagrāhyaḥ.^[1]

That means it is perceived by the organ of smell. According to Viśvanātha also the gandha is perceived by the organ of smell.^[2]

Annaṃbhaṭṭa also states the similar definition in his Tarkasaṃgraha:

ghrāṇagrāhyo guṇogandhaḥ.^[3]

In this definition the word mātra is avoided, because it has no necessity, this organ apprehends only the quality of smell and nothing else. The word guṇa is added in this definition to exclude the generic attribute, gandhatva.^[4] Gandha is twofold: fragrant and non-fragrant and it resides in earth only.^[5] Gandha becomes eternal when it is found in eternal things and it becomes non-eternal when it is found in non-eternal things.^[6] This quality is a mūrtaguṇa and it resides in one substance, so it is ekadravyavṛtti.^[7] Moreover it is apprehended by one external sense only, so, it is ekendriyagrāhya.^[8]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

gandho ghrānagrāhyaḥ. Vaiśeṣikadarśanam with Praśastapādabhāṣya, p. 70

[2]:

ghrānagrāhya bhaved gandho. Bhāṣāpariccheda, p.189

[3]:

Tarkasaṃgraha, p.16

[4]:

Ibid., p.155

[5]:

sourabhaścā’sourabhaśca sa dvedhā … Bhāṣāpariccheda, p.189

[6]:

Kārikāvalī: Nyāyasiddhāntamuktāvalī, p.181

[7]:

Sinha, Jadunath, Indian Philosophy, Vol. I, pp. 433-434

[8]:

Tarkasaṃgraha, p.87