Abhāva (4): Anyonyābhāva (Mutual Non-Existence)

This abhāva refers to the difference of one thing from another thing. There is different between two things and they are excluded from each other. There is found the abhāva of one as the other. This abhāva is known as anyonyābhāva. For example, a table is not the chair. That means a table does not remain as a chair. The non-existence of a table in a chair and the non-existence of a chair in a table are mutual non-existence (anyonyābhāva). Mutual non-existence has the relation of identity (tādātmya) as its counter correlate.

According to Keśava Miśra, that abhāva which has identity as the counter entity is anyonyābhāva^[1] e.g., ghaṭa is not the paṭa, which means ghaṭa does not exist in the paṭa. The knowledge of the abhāva of the ghaṭa depends upon the knowledge of ghaṭa and paṭa. Viśvanātha states in his Nyāyasiddhāntamuktāvalī, that anyonyābhāva, is that the counterpositiveness of which is determined by the relation of identity.^[2] Śivāditya defines anyonyābhāva as refusing of identity.^[3] Śridhara expresses that the abhāva of a cow in a horse and the abhāva of a horse in a cow are anyonyābhāva, This abhāva is one and eternal.^[4] Annaṃbhaṭṭa also uphold similar view and defines anyonyābhāva which has a counter-entity determined by the relation of identity, e.g., jar is not cloth.^[5]