Viśeṣa resides in all Nityadravyas

[Full title: 2. The concept of Viśeṣa (3): Viśeṣa resides in all Nityadravyas]

It has been already been mentioned that viśeṣa resides in all the eternal substances. Here a question may arise thus: what is the necessity of accepting a Differentiating agency in all the eternal substances? It is true that viśeṣa is required for differentiating atoms which have similar qualities and the same universal. But there is no such need to differentiate between ether and time and self and so on and so forth. Because there can be differentiated on the basis of their qualities etc. But Praśastapāda, maintains that viśeṣa resides in all the eternal substances.^[1] He says that eternal atoms, liberated souls and the mind possess similar form, similar qualities and similar functions. Hence, there is no differentiating factor in their case other than viśeṣa.^[2] Both space and time possess sattā and dravyatva, their number, size etc. are all same. Hence, viśeṣa is to be accepted as their differentiator. In case of ether, though there is the existence of śabda as a special quality by which it can be differentiated from others, there is the necessity of accepting viśeṣa as the distinguishing mark of the inherent causality of śabda which remains in ether.^[3]

In this way the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣikas establish the concept of viśeṣa as a separate category.