Part 2.7 - The refutation of Pṛthaktva

[Full title: Secondary Refutations (7) Pṛthaktva]

This refutation can be divided into the following:

1. Based on its being a viṣaya of the vyavahāra of anyatva (otherness), while being guṇa.
2. Based on its types.

Analysis. 

In 1, Ānandajñāna points out that pṛthaktva, which is of the form of mutual-absence, cannot be a guṇa, and hence it cannot have any connection with the viśeṣaṇa, which is 'guṇatve sati' ('while being guṇa').^[1] Just as he did during the previous refutation, here also, instead of refuting the viśeṣaṇa by reiterating previous refutation, he begins another discussion.

It is to be noted that when Ānandajñāna says that pṛthaktva cannot be a guṇa, he implies that the guṇa-category still exists. Because he himself has defined pṛthaktva in relation to absence (abhāva), he then begins to discuss that point. Although he has refuted abhāva, he takes a stand for a form of it, which is anyonyābhāva and says that pṛthaktva being something separate from anyonyābhāva, is not supported by any pramāṇa, and that the viṣaya of the knowledge of the so-called pṛthaktva is abhāva, otherwise how could one explain the existence of pṛthaktva in guṇa and so forth?^[2] In this way he has himself invoked the existence of guṇa. This point is similar to that of existence of saṅkhyā in guṇas. The knowledge of 'this guṇa is different from the other guṇa', which happens in guṇas, is a case of pṛthaktva knowledge in guṇas. The Vaiśeṣika would reply that it is a secondary knowledge, because pṛthaktva being a guṇa itself, cannot reside in a guṇa. Against this stands Ānandajñāna's argument of the mutual dependency between the idea that guṇas don't possess guṇas and that the knowledge of saṅkhyā in guṇas is secondary.

In 2, Ānandajñāna attempts to refute the two types of pṛthaktva which are, ekapṛthaktva which is based on a single dravya and dvipṛthaktva and so forth, which are based on multiple dravyas.^[3] Although this can be refuted in two ways, which is, via the refutation of dravya and via the refutation of saṅkhyā, Ānandajñāna says that because pṛthaktva is guṇa-less, there can be no saṅkhyā in it.^[4] Here he indirectly supports the existence of saṅkhyā as a guṇa. He does state that ekatva is unestablished.^[5] Instead of straightaway saying that because saṅkhyā has been refuted, the types of pṛthaktva dependent on saṅkhyā would be refuted, he says that ekatva is refuted and then begins the refutation dvitva and dvipṛthaktva and so forth, on the basis of ekapṛthaktva.^[6]

Bhāsarvajña in his Nyāyabhūṣaṇa has stated that pṛthaktva is not a guṇa, because it is nothing but bhinnatva.^[7] Ānandajñāna's idea that pṛthaktva is nothing but an effect of anyonyābhāva, seems to be rooted in the aforesaid idea.^[8] Raghunātha Śiromaṇi in his Padārthatattvanirūpaṇa seems to agree with the said idea that pṛthaktva is nothing but an effect of anyonyābhāva.^[9] Similar has been cited by Mādhava Deva (~17th century CE) in his Nyāyasāra.^[10] Gaṅgā Sahāya Śarmā in his Nyāyapradīpa says that in reality pṛthaktva is anyonyābhāva itself, and that to conceptualise a separate padārtha, based on the difference in the knowledge caused by the prayoga of different vibhaktis like pañcamī and prathamā, is not logically valid.^[11] The Navya Naiyāyikas mentioned here have not attributed this idea to Bhāsarvajña.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

guṇatve sati anyatvavyavahāraviṣayaḥ pṛthaktvaṃ iti cet na parasparābhāvātmanaḥ tasya guṇatvāsambhave viśeṣaṇāyogāt -Tarkasaṅgraha (Ānandajñāna) (Pariccheda 2), p. 67

[2]:

na hi tasya anyonyābhāvātiriktasya sattve kiñcit mānaṃ asti pratīteḥ abhāvaviṣayatvena api caritārthatvāt aparathā guṇādiṣu kathaṃ pṛthaktvam/ -Tarkasaṅgraha (Ānandajñāna) (Pariccheda 2), p. 67

[3]:

yattu ekameva dravyaṃ ekapṛthaktvaṃ anekadravyaṃ dvipṛthaktvādi iti tat asat -Tarkasaṅgraha (Ānandajñāna) (Pariccheda 2), p. 68

[4]:

pṛthaktve nirguṇe saṅkhyā na kathañcitprasidhyati/... pṛthaktve saṅkhyābhāvāt ekaṃ ca tatpṛthaktvaṃ ca iti ayuktatvāt -Tarkasaṅgraha (Ānandajñāna) (Pariccheda 2), p. 68

[5]:

ekatvasya pṛthaktvasya ca asiddhau -Tarkasaṅgraha (Ānandajñāna) (Pariccheda 2), p. 68

[6]:

anyonyaṃ viśrāntaiḥ ekapṛthaktvaireva dvipṛthaktvādivyāhāravyavahārasiddheḥ na pṛthak dvipṛthaktvādi kalpyam -Tarkasaṅgraha (Ānandajñāna) (Pariccheda 2), p. 68

[7]:

pṛthaktvasyāpi guṇatvamayuktam bhinnatvasyaiva pṛthagiti vyavahārahetutvāt -Nyāyasāra (Bhāsarvajña) (Pariccheda 1, Pṛthaktvasya Bhedarūpatvam), p. 160

[8]:

guṇatve sati anyatvavyavahāraviṣayaḥ pṛthaktvaṃ iti cet na parasparābhāvātmanaḥ tasya guṇatvāsambhave viśeṣaṇāyogāt/ na hi tasya anyonyābhāvātiriktasya sattve kiñcit mānamasti -Tarkasaṅgraha (Ānandajñāna) (Pariccheda 2), p. 67

[9]:

pṛthaktvamapi na guṇāntaram/ anyo'nyābhāvādeva pṛthaktvavyavahāropapatteḥ/ -Padārthatattvanirūpaṇa (Raghunātha Śiromaṇi) (Pṛthaktvanirākaraṇa), p. 51

[10]:

navyāstu ghaṭātpṛthagiti pratītau pratiyogitvasyaiva pratītestasyāścānyonyābhāvenaivopapatter nātiriktaṃ pṛthaktvam/ yadvā/ anyonyābhāvasyaiva sāvadhitvaṃ kalpyam/ dharmikalpanāto dharmakalpanāyā laghīyastvādityāhuḥ/ -Nyāyasāra (Mādhavadeva) (Pratyakṣa Pariccheda), p. 89

[11]:

vastutastu pṛthaktvamanyonyābhāva eva pañcamīprathamādiprayogamātraprayuktapratītivailakṣaṇyamātreṇa padārthāntarakalpanāyā anyāyyatvāt -Nyāyapradīpa (Gaṅgā Sahāya Śarmā) (Tṛtīya Pariccheda), pp. 69-70