Mimamsa Versus Vaisesika

Author(s): Johannes Bronkhorst
Publisher: Johannes Bronkhorst

Page 1

JOHANNES BRONKHORST, Lausanne
MIMAMSA VERSUS VAISEȘIKA Parthasarathi and Kumārila on the Creation and Dissolution of the World"
In a recent publication Peri Sarveswara Sharma (1994: 60) draws attention to a passage in Pärthasarathi Misra's commentary Nyayaratnakara on Kumarila Bhatta's Slokavärttika, where the former, so he claims, summarises the views of Prasastapāda, author of the Padarthadharmasangraha, better known as Prasastapädabhäṣya. Parthasarathi's passage occurs under verse 66 of the chapter called "Sambandhākṣepaparihara", and reads as follows1:
vaiseşikäs av ahuḥ: anadir ayam sṛṣṭipralayapravahaḥ, brahmamänena varşaśatante bhagavato maheśvarasya samastajagatsamharecchā bhavati, tadicchavadīśvaratmasamyogat paramäṇuşu vibhāgakarmāṇy utpadyante, tais ca sarveșu mitho vibhakteşu yavad dvynukam sarvävayavinasad paramänava eva kevalaḥ pārthiväpyataijasavāyaviya vyomakäladigätmamanāmsi cavatiṣṭhante, dharmadharmaś ca tavantam kalam ifvarecchāpratibaddhaḥ phalam aprayacchantas teṣu teşv atmasv avatisthante, punas tavati käle gate tasyaiva bhagavataḥ karmopabhogasünyan atmano dṛṣṭvā anukampäparavaśasya sisṛkṣa bhavati, tataḥ sisṛksavadisvaratmasamyogät paramäņuşu karmotpattes tadvasän mithaḥ samyuktais tair dvyanukadikramenņa pṛthivyadaya arabhyante, tatas tadicchavasad evapagatapratibandhair abhivyaktasämarthyair vividhaiḥ karmabhir vividhänekanarapaśvädibhedabhinnam bhutajätam ärabhyate, tataḥ sa eva maheśvaro dharmädharmapratipadanaya vedän srjati | tad evam pratisargam anye 'nye ca vedaḥ, pravahatas tu vedäḥ srstipralayas canadayaḥ, karta ca maheśvaro 'nädir eva, iha ca paramāṇūnām upādānatvän nänupädänatvam srster iti
*I thank Gerdi Gerschheimer for help and advice. NYR 5.15.66, pp. 465-466.
171