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Parinama in Tarka-Period
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causation viz. change through persistence (the cause being both permanent and fluxional).
(b) Arthakriyākäritva
The most important criterion of Sat or reality is given as ‘arthakriyākāritva', i. e. the the quality of serving a purpose. The theories of kūtastha-nityatā and kşaņikatva are criticised from this point of view.
The impossibility of arthakriyakāritva,' in an unchanging eternal is shown by the following dilemma : Does the thing that is supposed to be unchangingly eternal exercise arthakriya step by step or all at once ? It cannot do so step by step for that invo. Ives the loss of nityatva - the thing having already changed i. e. ceased to be nitya, the moment the first step has been taken. If the thing continues to be the same even after the first step is taken, there will be no cessation of the activity suited to the first step, and thus there will be no possibility of a second step ever being taken. If, on the other hand, the thing is supposed to change by the first step, it loses its nityatva by so doing. For, to be no longer in the former state, means to be anitya. If it be said by way of defence that the thing remains the same all along the steps but awaits the arrival of an auxiliary - sahakārin - cause in going from step to step and thus the changes are rung out, not on the original thing which retains its sameness and therefore nityatva, but only on the series of sahakārins, that does not really obviate the difficulty but only pushes it a little further on. Thus if the thing remains the same in spite of the arrival of the sahakārin, it means the latter has exercised no influence upon the original cause, and if for influencing, another sabakārin is needed, then the fallacy of regressus infinitum (anavasthā dosa) will occur.
The other alternative of ‘yaugapadya' too is impossible. No. thing can put forth activity in all directions, and accomblish its effects all at once, in a single moment of time. Supposing it can, -
