The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Sankaracarya...

The first of the three Sûtras quoted comprises, in the present text of the Vaiseshika-sûtras, only the following words, 'Kâranabahutvâk ka;' the ka of the Sûtra implying, according to the commentators, mahattva and prakaya.—According to the Vaiseshikas the form of extension called anu, minute, has for its cause the dvitva inherent in the material causes, i.e. the two atoms from which the minute binary atomic compound originates.—The form of extension called mahat, big, has different causes, among them bahutva, i.e. the plurality residing in the material causes of the resulting 'big' thing; the cause of the mahattva of a ternary atomic compound, for instance, is the tritva inherent in the three constituent atoms. In other cases mahattva is due to antecedent mahattva, in others to prakaya, i.e. accumulation. See the Upaskâra on Vais. Sût. VII, 1, 9; 10.

I.e. if the Vaiseshikas have to admit that it is the nature of sphericity, &c. not to produce like effects, the Vedântin also may maintain that Brahman produces an unlike effect, viz. the non-intelligent world.

Like other things, let us say a piece of cloth, which consists of parts.

Or, more particularly, to the conjunction of the atoms with the souls to which merit and demerit belong.—Adrishtâpeksham adrishtavatkshetrajñasamyogâpeksham iti yâvat. Ãn. Gi.

According to the Vaiseshikas intelligence is not essential to the soul, but a mere adventitious quality arising only when the soul is joined to an internal organ.

The soul being all-pervading.

Which is inadmissible on Vaiseshika principles, because samyoga as being a quality is connected with the things it joins by samavâya.

Viz. from those things which are united by conjunction. The argument is that conjunction as an independent third entity requires another connexion to connect it with the two things related to each other in the way of conjunction.

Viz. the absolute difference of samavâya and samyoga from the terms which they connect.

Action (karman), &c. also standing in the samavâya relation to their substrates.

Our Vaiseshika-sûtras read 'pratishedhabhâvah;' but as all MSS. of Sa@nkara have 'pratishedhâbhâvah' I have kept the latter reading and translated according to Ânandagiri's explanation: Kâryam anityam iti kârye vireshato nityatvanishedho na syâd yadi kâraneszpy anityatvam atozsnûnâm kâranânâm nityateti sûtrârthah.

Because they also are not perceptible; the ternary aggregates, the so-called trasarenus, constituting the minima perceptibilia.

As they have no cause which could either be disintegrated or destroyed.

This according to the Vedânta view. If atoms existed they might have originated from avidyâ by a mere parinâma and might again be dissolved into avidyâ, without either disintegration or destruction of their cause taking place.

The Sâ@nkhyas looking on everything (except the soul) as being the pradhâna in various forms.—There is no need of assuming with Govindânanda that by the Sâ@nkhya of the text we have to understand the Vedânta.

Yayor dvayor madhya ekam avinasyad aparâsritamvâvatishthate tâv ayutasiddhau yathâvayavâvayavinau.

The connexion of cause and effect is of course samavâya.

If the effect can exist before having entered into connexion with the cause, the subsequent connexion of the two is no longer samavâya but samyoga; and that contradicts a fundamental Vaiseshika principle.

This clause replies to the objection that only those connexions which have been produced by previous motion are to be considered conjunctions.

A clause meant to preclude the assumption that the permanent existence of the things connected involves the permanent existence of the connexion.

It having been shown above that atoms cannot enter into samyoga with each other, it is shown now that samyoga of the soul with the atoms cannot be the cause of the motion of the latter, and that samyoga of soul and manas cannot be the cause of cognition.

Ekasambandhyâkarshane yatra sambandhyantarâkarshanam tatra samsleshah, sa tu sâvayavânâm jatukâshthâdînâm drishto na tu niravayavaih sâvayâvânâm, ato dvyanukasya sâvayavasya niravayavena paramânunâ sa nopapadyate. Brahmavidyâbh.

In answer to the question how, in that case, the practically recognised relation of abode, &c. existing between the cause and the effect is accounted for.

For they must in that case have a northern end, an eastern end, &c.

And that on that account the atoms which he considers as the ultimate simple constituents of matter cannot be decomposed.

Because according to their opinion difference of size constitutes difference of substance, so that the continuous change of size in animal bodies, for instance, involves the continual perishing of old and the continual origination of new substances.

The following notes on Bauddha doctrines are taken exclusively from the commentaries on the Sa@nkarabhâshya, and no attempt has been made to contrast or reconcile the Brahminical accounts of Bauddha psychology with the teaching of genuine Bauddha books. Cp. on the chief sects of the Buddhistic philosophers the Bauddha chapter of the Sarvadarsanasamgraha.—The Nihilists are the Mádhyamikas; the Idealists are the Yogâkâras; the Sautrântikas and the Vaibháshikas together constitute the class of the Realists.—I subjoin the account given of those sects in the Brahmavidyâbharana.—Buddhasya hi mâdhyamika-yogákâra-sautrântika-vaibhâshikasamj ñakâs katvârah sishyâh. Tatra buddhena prathamam yân prati sarvam sûnyam ity upadishtam te màdhyamikâs te hi gurunâ yathoktam tathaiva sraddhayâ grihîtavanta iti kritvâ nâpakrishtâh punas ka taduktasyârthasya buddhyanusârenâkshepasyâkritatvân notkrishtabuddhaya iti mâdhyamikâh. Anyais tu sishyair gurunâ sarvasûnyatva upadishte jñânâtiriktasya sarvasya sûnyatvam astu nâmeti gurûktir yoga iti bauddaih paribhâshitopetâh tad upari ka jñânasya tu sûnyatvam na sambhavati tathâtve jagadândhyaprasa@ngât sûnyasiddher apy asambhavâk keti buddhamate âkâratvena paribhâshita âkshepos'pi krita iti yogâkârâh vijñânamâtrâstitvavâdinah. Tadanataram anyaih sishyaih pratîtisiddhasya katham sûnyatvam vaktum sakyam ato jñânavad vâhyârthos'pi satya ity ukte tarhi tathaiva sos'stu, param tu so s'numeyo na tu pratyaksha ity ukte tathâ@ngîkrityaivam sishyamatim anusritya kiyatparyantam sûtram bhavishyatîti taih prishtam atas te sautrântikâh.

Anye punar yady ayam ghata iti pratîtibalâd vâhyos'rtha upeyate tarhi tasyâ eva pratîter aparokshatvât sa katham parokshos'to vâhyos'rtho na pratyaksha iti bhâshâ viruddhety âkshipann atas te vaibhâshikâh.

The rûpaskandha comprises the senses and their objects, colour, &c.; the sense-organs were above called bhautika, they here re-appear as kaittika on account of their connexion with thought. Their objects likewise are classed as kaittika in so far as they are perceived by the senses.—The vijñânaskandha comprises the series of self-cognitions (ahamaham ity âlayavjñânapravâhah), according to all commentators; and in addition, according to the Brahmavidyâbharana, the knowledge, determinate and indeterminate, of external things (savikalpakam nirvikalpakam ka pravrittivijñânasamjñitam).—The vedanâskandha comprises pleasure, pain, &c.—The samjñâskandha comprises the cognition of things by their names (gaur asva ityâdisabdasamjalpitapratyayah, Ân. Gi.; gaur asva ityevam nâmavisishtasavikalpakah pratyayah, Go. Ân.; samjñâ yajñadattâdipadatadullekhî savikalpapratyayo vâ, dvitîyapakshe vijñânapadena savikalpapratyayo na grâhyh, Brahmavidyâbh.). The samskâraskandha comprises passion, aversion, &c., dharma and adharma.—Compare also the Bhâmatî.—The vijñânaskandha is kitta, the other skandhas kaitta.

It has to be kept in view that the sarvâstitvavâdins as well as the other Bauddha sects teach the momentariness (kshanikatva), the eternal flux of everything that exists, and are on that ground controverted by the upholders of the permanent Brahman.

Mind, on the Bauddha doctrine, presupposes the existence of an aggregate of atoms, viz. the body.

In consequence of which no release could take place.

The Brahmavidyâbharana explains the last clause—from kshanikatvâk ka—somewhat differently: Api ka paramânûnâm api kshanikatvâbhyupagamân melanam na sambhavati, paramânûnâm melanam paramânukriyâdhînam, tathâ ka svakriyâm prati paramânûnâm kâranatvât kriyâpûrakshane paramânubhir bhâvyam kriyâ srayatayâ kriyâkshaneszpi teshâm avasthânam apekshitam evam melanakshaneszpi, nahi melanâsrayasyâbhâve melanarûpâ pravrittir upapadyate, tathâ ka sthiraparamânusâdhyâ melanarûpâ pravrittih katham teshâm kshanikatve bhavet.—Ânanda Giri also divides and translates differently from the translation in the text.

The kâranatvât of Sa@nkara explains the pratyayatvât of the Sûtra; kâryam praty ayate janakatvena gakkhati.

The commentators agree on the whole in their explanations of the terms of this series.—The following is the substance of the comment of the Brahmavidyâbharana: Nescience is the error of considering that which is momentary, impure, &c. to be permanent, pure, &c.—Impression (affection, samskâra) comprises desire, aversion, &c., and the activity caused by them.—Knowledge (vijñâna) is the self-consciousness (aham ity âlayavijñânasya vrittilâbhah) springing up in the embryo.—Name and form is the rudimentary flake—or bubble-like condition of the embryo.—The abode of the six (shadâyatana) is the further developed stage of the embryo in which the latter is the abode of the six senses.—Touch (sparsa) is the sensations of cold, warmth, &c. on the embryo's part.—Feeling (vedaná) the sensations of pleasure and pain resulting therefrom.—Desire (trishnâ) is the wish to enjoy the pleasurable sensations and to shun the painful ones.—Activity (upâdâna) is the effort resulting from desire,—Birth is the passing out from the uterus.—Species (jâti) is the class of beings to which the new-born creature belongs.—Decay (jarâ).—Death (maranam) is explained as the condition of the creature when about to die (mumûrshâ).—Grief (soka) the frustration of wishes connected therewith.—Lament (paridevanam) the lamentations on that account.—Pain (duhkha) is such pain as caused by the five senses.—Durmanas is mental affliction.—The 'and the like' implies death, the departure to another world and the subsequent return from there.

Ânanda Giri and Go. Ânanda explain: Âsrâyasrayibhûteshv iti bhoktriviseshanam adrishtâsrayeshv ity arthah.—The Brahrma-vidyâbharana says: Nityeshv âsrâyasrayibhûteshv anushv abhyupagamyamâneshu bhoktrishu ka satsv ity anvayah. Âsrâyasrayibhûteshv ity asyopakâryopakârakabhâvaprâpteshv ity arthah.—And with regard to the subsequent âsrayâsrayisûnyeshu: âsrayâsrayitvasûnyeshu, ayam bhâvah, sthireshu paramânushu yadanvaye paramânûnâm samghâtâpattih yadvyatireke ka na tad upakârakam upakâryâh paramânavah yena tatkrito bhogah prârthyate sa tatra karteti grahîtum sakyate, kshanikeshu tu paramnushu anvayavyatirekagrahasyânekakshanasâdhyasyâsa mbhavân nopakâryopakârakabhâvo nirdhârayitum sakyah.—Ananda Giri remarks on the latter: Adrishtâsrayakârtrirâhityam âhâsrayeti. Another reading appears to be âsayâsrayasûnyeshu.

Bauddhânâm kshanapadena ghatâdir eva padârtho vyavahriyate na tu tadatinktah kaskit kshano nâma hâlosti. Brahmâvidyâbh.

And whereupon then could be established the difference of mere efficient causes such as the potter's staff, &c., and material causes such as clay, &c.?

These four causes are the so-called defining cause (adhipati-pratyaya), the auxiliary cause (sahakâripratyaya), the immediate cause (samanantarapratyaya), and the substantial cause (âlambanapratyaya).—I extract the explanation from the Brahmavidyâbharana: Adhipatir indriyam tad dhi kakshurádirûpam utpannasya jñânasya rûpâdivishayatâm niyakkhati niyâmakas ka lokedhipatir ity ukyate. Sahakârî âlokah. Samanantarapratyayahpûrvajñânam, bauddhamate hi kshanikajñanasamtatau pûrvajñânam uttarajñâsya kâranam tad eva ka mana ity ukyate. Âlambanam ghatâdih. Etân hetûn pratîya prâpya kakshurâdijanyam ity âdi.

Samskâra iti, tanmate pûrvakshana eva hetubhûtah samskâro vâsaneti ka vyavahriyate kâryam tu tadvishayatayâ karmavyutpattyâ samskârah, tathâ ka kâryakâranâtmakam sarvam bhâvarûpam kshanikam iti pratijñârthah. Brahmavidyâbharana.