Qualities (5): Saṃkhyā (Number)

Saṃkhyā (Number) is the fifth quality. It is a general quality. It can be apprehended by eye and skin. Praśastapāda defines saṃkhyā as for which one, two, three etc. are used that are known as saṃkhyā.^[1] Viśvanātha gives the definition of saṃkhyā thus the cause of the convention of counting is called number.^[2] According to Śivāditya, the definition of saṃkhyā is that which has the generality of numberness is known as saṃkhyā.^[3]

Annaṃbhaṭṭa also gives the similar definition of saṃkhyā as number is the cause of common usage of expressions like one, two etc.^[4] In this definition, the word hetu is used in the sense of asādhāraṇanimittakāraṇa i.e., the extraordinary efficient cause. Annaṃbhaṭṭa says that it exist in all the nine dravyas saṃkhyā starts from one and ends with parārdha. Oneness is eternal and non-eternal, when it is in atoms, it is eternal and when it is in products, it is non-eternal. But number two or all other higher numbers are non-eternal everywhere.^[5]

The numbers beginning from duality and ending with parārdha are considered to be produced by the notion of addition. The notion of many unities is considered as the notion of addition.^[6]

This idea is clarified by Athalye and Bodas thus:

“When two things are brought before us, we do not at once cognize them as two, but first apprehend each one separately, as this one and that one. These separate notions are denoted by the term apekṣābuddhi. When the conceptions of these two unities are formed in our mind, they are joined together and produce one general notion of duality; and then we get the knowledge that these are two things.”^[7]

The process of the production of duality is elaborately discussed by the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣikas. Thus at first there is the contact of the sense-organ with each objects. Then arises the knowledge of generality of unity (ekatva). Then there is the notion of addition, by which the notion of unity is realized in each of the objects in the form of ‘This is one’, ‘This is one’ and then the production of duality. After that there arises the knowledge of generality of duality. Then there is the cognition of that quality of duality which exists in two things and after that only there is the consciousness of two things.^[8]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

ekādivyavahārahetuḥ saṃkhyā. Vaiśeṣikadarśanam with Praśastapādabhāṣya, p. 74

[2]:

gaṇanāvyavahāre tu hetuḥ saṃkhyābhidhīyate. Bhāṣāpariccheda, p.198

[3]:

saṃkhyātvasāmānyavati saṃkhyā. Saptapadārthi, p.57

[4]:

ekatvādivyavahārahetuḥ saṃkhyā. Tarkasaṃgraha, p. 18

[5]:

Ibid.

[6]:

dvitvādayaḥ parārdhāntā apekṣāvuddhijā matāḥ. Bhāṣāpariccheda, p.199

[7]:

Tarkasaṃgraha, p. 161

[8]:

Ibid., pp.161-162