SrI UpakAra Sangraham Part - 49

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srI:

SrI upakAra sangraham – 49

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adikAram – 1

poorva upakAra paramparai

(The Foremost Series of Favours)

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SECTION – 5 (11) [continued]

(27 Favours of the Lord leading to the means for

MOKSHAM)

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After saving the sAttvika jIvas from the un-Vedic

religious onslaught, the Lord turns towards those

religious systems which accept the authority of the

Vedas. SwAmi, Desikan mentions the Vaishika system as

the first one in the list. We shall look into the

tenets of this religion.

This system derives its name from the term “visheSha”

, meaning characteristic. It is mainly a system of

physics and metaphysics. Initially it adopted a

sixfold classification of objects of experience

(padArthas), namely, substance, quality, activity,

generality, particularity and inherence, to which

later a seventh, non-existence was added. Of these,

three, i.e., substance, quality and activity possess

real objective existence, which ca ne be intuited.

The others, i.e., generality, particularity and

inherence are the products of intellectual

discrimination. They are logically inferred, not

directly perceived. The existenc of soul is inferred

from the fact that consciousness cannot be a property

of the body, the sense-organs, or the mind. The soul

is all pervading, but its capacity of knowing, feeling

and willing resides only where the body is. Many are

the souls is inferred from their differences in status

and their various conditions. This system also

believes that each soul experiences the consequences

of its own deeds and this is taken as a proof for the

plurality of souls. According to this system, things

are composed of invisible eternal atoms which are

capable of division. There are four kinds of atoms:

earth, water, light and air. The VaishEShikas are

non-believers of theism. KanAda, or KAshyapa, is the

author of the VaishEShika sutra does not mention God,

but later commentators felt that the immutable atoms

could not by themselves produce an ordered universe

unless a presiding God regulated their activities.

They say, the Vedas were the creation of God, that is,

they are paurusSheyam. They adopted the concept of

God following the emergence of the NyAya system.

The second AdhikaraNa, namely,

“MahaddeerghAdhikaraNam”, of the second quarter of the

second Chapter of the Brahmasutra deals with the

combination of NyAya-VaishEShika systems and refutes

their theory that atoms are the cause of the universe.

There are seven sutras in this. This AdhikaraNa

follows the first one which proved the un-tenability

of the SAnkhya system.

The first Sutra, “MahaddeerghavadvA

hrasvaparimaNDalAbhyAm” says, ‘The views of others

like the one that accepts the production of big and

long from the short and the atom, are untenable.”

SrIbhAshyakAra refutes this twin-system as follows:

This combined NyAya-VaishEShika theory that the

joining of two smallest atoms and this combination

gives rise to tertiary particle and thus evolves the

world, is incompatible, because the primeval cause is

not established.

This inconsistency is explained in detail in the

following sutras of this AdhikaraNa.

It is impossible to accept that the first motion can

originate in the atoms. Therefore the conjunction of

two or more atoms is impossible to accept. The Lord

cannot be proved by inference. Hence, it is impossible

to argue that the atoms can create the world bnder the

direction of the Lord. This doctrine is not compatible

on account of the acceptance of “samavAya” (union) as

a separate category. There results the fallacy of

regressus in infinitum. Because samavAya is considered

eternal, the world also will have to be eternal, and

so the doctrine is untenable. As the atoms are said to

have colour etc., the doctrine becomes contradictory

because it is so observed in the world. The doctrine

is untenable because other defects also. Thus the

NyAya-VaisheShika system is altogether disregarded.

 

(To continue)

dAsan

Anbil S.SrInivAsan

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