Qualities (9): Vibhāga (Disjunction)

Vibhāga (Disjunction) is that quality which destroys conjunction.^[1] This quality exists in all dravyas. At first there must have previous conjunction, after that there may be disjunction. Praśastapāda also defines this quality as the separation of thing from other which are previously joined.

Vibhāga has three divisions:

1. anyatarakarmaja,
2. ubhayakarmaja and
3. vibhāgaja.^[2]

According to Śivāditya, it is known as vibhāga (disjunction) as the generality of vibhāgatva resides in it. Moreover, this quality is the special cause of separation of substances.^[3] But in the Tarkasaṃgraha, Annaṃbhaṭṭa describes it as the destroyer of the conjunction. In the Dīpikā, Annaṃbhaṭṭa states that the word quality (guṇa) is added in the definition to reject the over-pervasion to time, space etc. The word saṃyoganāśako (destroyer of contact) is added in the definition to avoid over-pervasion to colour (rūpādou) etc.^[4] Thus it is seen that disjunction is not simply the negation of conjunction, but it is an actual separation.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

saṃyoganāśako guṇo vibhāgaḥ. Tarkasaṃgraha, p. 19

[2]:

prāptipūrvikāprāptirvibhāgaḥ. sa ca trividhāḥanyatarakarmaja, ubhayakarmajovibhāgajaśca. Vaiśeṣikadarśanam with Praśastapādabhāṣya, p. 107

[3]:

vibhāgatvasāmānyavān vibhaktapratyayāsādhāraṇakāraṇaṃ vibhāga. Saptapadārthi, p.58

[4]:

Dīpikā on Tarkasaṃgraha, p. 19