Syadvada Manjari

Author(s): Mallishenacharya, F W Thomas
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas

Page 24

1. The Vaiseșika doctrine of eternality and non-eternality
23 stance earth, of course, is not altogether destroyed even when assuming the different states of bubble-shaped ornament, box, cupboard, bier, gutter, pot, etc.: because in them the continuance of the earth-substance is a presentation common to children and cowmen (even). Nor is the materiality of darkness) undemonstrated: because otherwise its visibility (coularity), like that of the light of a lamp, would not be accounted for.
*Well then, all that is ocularly visible depends upon light for its manifestation; but it is not so with darkness; so how is that ocularly visible?" - Not so! Because it does appear to owls, etc., even without light. And even to those, i. e. to ourselves and to others, by whom some ocularly visible things, such as pots, etc., are not apprehended without light; even to them darkness will be oculariy present, because of the variety of existences (experiences). How otherwise would you have gold, pearls, etc., though yellow, white, etc., dependent upon light for being seen, and, on the other hand, lamps and the moon, etc., not dependent on any other illumination ? So it is demonstrated that darkness is ocularly visible.
And in consequence of having colour it is apprehended also as tangible, because it produces the presentation of a cold feel. Its having no compact parts, its being not impenetrable, its not having an appreciable") feel, its not being presented as sub-divided into parts which are substances and wholes, etc., these Middle Terms propounded by others for the negation of its materiality are to be refuted simply by the example of lamp-light, etc., because having the same force and virtue..
Nor should it be said, 'How do the heat-atoms) develop into darkness ?'; because we see that material things, when accompanied by such and such a totality (of conditions), have also the power to produce dissimilar effects. For we see that fire, though of a shining nature, produces through the force of connection with wet fuel an effect in the non-shining form of smoke. Thus is the lamp proved to be both eternal and non-eternal. But, even when in consequence of being extinguished the lamp is glowing, even then it is both eternal and non-eternal, because it has origination and destruction of continually new modifications, and because it continues in its nature as lamp. (17)
Similarly, ether (space) also is both eternal and non-eternal, because of consisting essentially of origination, destruction and persistence. As thus: its (ether's) mark is simpiy that it admits penetration by souls and matter, which penetrate into it: because it is said, "What gives room is ether"). And, when the penetrating souls and parts of matter, through either effort or giving way, go from one portion of ether into another, then that ether is separated, along with those penetrating things, from one piace, and conjoined with a subsequent place; conjunction and separation are, however, mutually repugnant attributes, and with difference of them there is necessarily difference of their bearer. And to this effect they say: "For only this is difference or cause of difference, viz. imposition of repugnant attributes, and difference of causes (material))". And hence that ether is by undergoing an evolution defined as the
3) An oft-discussed subject. The Vaiseşika, which denied the reality of negations, heid that darkness was adequately explained as absence of light: see V.-sutra, I. i. 5, Colebrooke's Essays, II, p. 293, and Prasastapāda-bhāşya with Nyāya-kandali, trans. Gangānãth Jhā, pp. 19-22. For Jain views see Sammatitarka, pp. 543-5.
“) Udbhūta is what is 'above the threshold of awareness, not latent or negligible.
5) Indian philosophy identifies heat and light as forms of 'fire': V.-sitra, II. i. 3, II. 4, Colebrooke's Essays, II, p. 294.
5) Uttarādhya yana-sútra, XXVIII. 29. (M. L.), Outlines of Jainism, p. 83. in indian philosophy ether and space are not distinguished, though direction' (dis) is a separate substance: V.-sutra, II. ii. 10, Colebrooke's Essays, II, p. 297.
?) Quoted as a nyaya in Mādhava's Sarva-darśana-samgraha XVI (Samkara system), and in Sammatiarka, pp. 3, 327.