Book Title: Indian Logic Part 02
Author(s): Nagin J Shah
Publisher: Sanskrit Sanskriti Granthmala

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Page 148
________________ EXISTENCE OF GOD 137 (1) It is invalid to argue that the earth etc. need a voluntary producer because they are of the form of an effect; for it is unproved that the earth etc. are of such a form." (2) It is invalid to argue that the earth etc. need a voluntary producer because they exhibit an arrangement of parts; for the earth etc. do not exhibit that type of arrangement of parts which is found to be due to a voluntary producer. And granted that the earth etc. exhibit the said type of arrangement of parts, the fact remains that things like self-grown grass exhibit it and are yet found to come into existence without requiring a voluntary producer; certainly, it will be unwarranted to suppose that these grass etc. require an invisible cause in addition to the visible ones like soil, water etc. Thus the inference in question will be like inferring 'Brahminhood' from 'manhood'.? And granting the validity of this inference, what it will prove is that the voluntary producer in the case of earth etc. is non-omniscient, embodied, miserable etc. just like a potter who here serves as an illustrative instance; for if He is not all this, the potter will not here serve as an illustrative instance. Lastly, the following four objections are raised independently : (i) God cannot produce earth etc. without having a body, nor can He produce a body for Himself, nor can another producer produce a body for Him. (ii) God cannot create earth etc. through undertaking physical operation because that will require endless time, nor can He create them through mere wishing because it is impossible for inanimate atoms to act according to His wish.io (iii) God must have a purpose behind creating earth etc. but no such purpose is conceivable." It cannot be compassion for the beings, because before creation the beings must be free from all misery; moreover, in that case the world should not exhibit so much misery as it does.12 Nor can it be said that God does not know how to create a world free from misery, for He is supposed to be omnipotent.13 And if while creating the world God has to take into account the past acts of the beings, then His role is redundant.1- Nor can it be said that these acts being inanimate must require the guidance of a conscious agent, for such guidance can well be provided by the soul to which these acts

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