________________
CONCEPTION OF ISVARA
209
(=God)'. He explains how naming is a mark of the existence of Isvara as also how effect too is a mark of the existence of Isvara. Earth etc. must have a creator, because they are effects like a pot etc. Thus according to Upaskāra, the sūtra adduces two logical reasons to prove the existence of God. While criticising the above interpretation presented by Upaskāra, Prof. S. N. Dasgupta writes : 'Upaskāra's interpretation seems to be farfetched. He wants to twist it into an argument for the existence of God'.' According to Dasgupta the meaning of the sūtra is : 'The existence of others different from us (asmadviśistānām) has to be admitted for accounting for the giving of names to things (saññākarma). Because we find that the giving of names is already in usage (and not invented by us)'.The sūtra has been explained by Candrānanda as meaning "creation of nine names only by Maheśvara serves as a mark of the existence of nine substances only! Prof. Dasgupta's above criticism applies to this interpretation also. As a matter of fact, the term 'asmadviśistānām'is to be understood in the sense of 'of those distinguished from us' or 'of those superior to us'. In Prasastapādabhāşya at one place we find the term
asmadviśistānām' used as an adjective qualifying 'yoginām'.l0 One important tenet upheld by the later Nyāya-Vaiseșika thinkers is that the initial motion of atoms.is caused by Isvara (God)." But Kanāda explicitly states that it is caused by adrsta (a special quality generated in souls by their own actions). Another equally important tenet upheld by, them is that God gives living beings the fruits of their merits and demerits in the shape of enjoyments and afflictions. But Kanāda recognises no intermediary between merits and demerits on the one hand and their fruits on the other. Still another important tenet upheld by them is that the author of the Vedas is Isvara (God)." But Kanāda says only this much that creation of the Vedas presupposes Intelligence, that is, the Vedas are created by an intelligent person or persons.' Prof. Dasgupta observes: 'It is probable that Kanāda believed that the Vedas were written by some persons superior to us (2.1.18, 6.1.1-2)'.16 It seems to us that Kanāda shares the view that the Vedas have been composed by Rșis to whom Dharma was revealed (sāksātkrtadharmānah). Prof. Dasgupta rightly concludes : 'As there is no reference to Isvara and as adrsta proceeding out of the performance of actions in accordance with Vedic injunctions is made the cause of all atomic movements, we can very well assume that Vaiseșika was as atheist or non-theistic as the later Mimāmsā philosophers.''?
