Nyaya-Vaisheshika categories (Study)
by Diptimani Goswami | 2014 | 61,072 words
This page relates ‘Svabhavavada or Yadricchavada� of the study on the Nyaya-Vaisheshika categories with special reference to the Tarkasangraha by Annambhatta. Both Nyaya and Vaisesika are schools of ancient Indian Philosophy, and accepted in their system various padarthas or objects of valid knowledge. This study investigates how the Tarkasamgraha reflects these categories in the combined Nyayavaisesika school.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
屹岹 or ۲ṛc屹岹
屹岹 or ۲ṛc屹岹 is upheld by the 첹 system This view is very old and is found mentioned in the 貹Ծṣa. It is also found in the Śśٲ 貹Ծṣa that 屹 or nature is the cause of the world.[1] 屹岹 is also discussed in the 岹śԲṃg, where it is said that the phenomenon of the world is produced spontaneously from the inherent nature of things. It is said there that the heat of fire, coolness of water, refreshing coolness of wind etc. are all come into existence because of their own nature.[2] There is no creator of these phenomena. 첹 states that some entities are eternal, some are non-eternal and some are mixed (vicitra). These particularities of the entities depend upon their natures inherent in them.[3] Gautama also refers to the 첹 view of causality when he discusses about the causality of īś. He refers to the objectors, i.e., the 첹s who argue that thorns are by nature sharp, hills beautiful and stones smooth. There is none who has created them as such. It is their nature only. Similarly this world is not produced by any God or some divine entity, they come into existence by nature.[4]
śṣa states about the 屹岹 in his Buddhacarita. He discusses that good and bad things are originated according to their own nature. Life and death of human beings are also the same. The 屹徱Բ describe that the thorn is sharp, different birds and animals are different in colour, form, behaviour etc. because of their nature.[5]
Explaining the view of the 屹徱Բ ҳṇaٲԲ says that these philosophers maintain that all things of this world are produced by nature. It is the nature of earth that from it pot is produced. Similarly cloth is produced from threads naturally. Again it is the nature of the weaver that he makes cloth and not pot. Hence everything is produced by its own nature.[6]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
Śvetāsvatara 貹Ծṣa, 1.2
[2]:
[3]:
nityasattvābhavantye’nityasattvaśca kecana vicitrāḥkecid ityatra tatsvabhāvo nityāmaka�. Quoted in ʰś and ǻī Commentaries of ⲹܲܳñᲹī, 1.5, p. 58
[5]:
cf. Buddhacarita, 9.58, 59, 62