Sūtra 1.1.6 (Enumeration of Attributes)

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 1.1.6:

रुपरसगन्धस्पर्शाः संख्याः परिमाणानि पृथक्त्वं संयोगविभागौ परत्वापरत्वे बुद्धयः सुखदुःखे इच्छाद्वेषौ प्रयत्नाश्च गुणाः ॥ १.१.६ ॥

ruparasagandhasparśāḥ saṃkhyāḥ parimāṇāni pṛthaktvaṃ saṃyogavibhāgau paratvāparatve buddhayaḥ sukhaduḥkhe icchādveṣau prayatnāśca guṇāḥ || 1.1.6 ||

rūpa-rasa-gandha-sparśaḥ—Colour, Taste, Smell, and Touch; saṃkhyāḥ—Numbers; parimāṇāni—Measures, Extensions; pṛthaktvam—Separateness; saṃyoga-vibhṅgau—Conjunction and Disjunction; paratvāparatve—Priority and Posteriority; budbhayaḥ—Understandings; sukha-duḥkhe—Pleasure and pain; icchā-dveṣau—Desire and Aversion; prayatnāḥ—Volitions; ca—And; gaṇāḥ—Attributes.

6. Attributes are Colour, Taste, Smell, and Touch, Numbers, Measures, Separateness, Conjunction and Disjunction, Priority and Posteriority, Understandings, Pleasure and Pain, Desire and Aversion, and Volitions.

Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:

(English rendering of Śaṅkara Miśra’s commentary called Upaskāra from the 15th century)

Actions become the object of the sense by reason of their production by Substances and Attributes as well as of their Combination with Substances having colour. Therefore, immediately after the statement of Substances and Attributes, he states the enumeration and division of Actions.—[Read sūtra 1.1.6 above]

The word ‘ca’ gathers up Weight, Fluidity, Liquidity, Impression, Virtue, Vico and Sound; they are well-known Attributes, it is hence that they have not been verbally stated. Their attributeness, he will, in their proper places, explain with respect to their nature and mark. The words Colour, Taste, Smell, and Touch are compounded into a Saṃsāra in order to show that they do not co-exist with contemporaneous Colour, Taste, Smell, and Touch. But Numbers a id Measures are not so compounded and are stated in the plural number, to show that they co-exist with contemporaneous Numbers and Measures. Although that which co-exists with unity is not another unity or that which co-exists with largeness or length not another largeness or length, still there is in fact co-existence of duality, etc., amongst themselves and also of largeness, length, etc., with largeness, length, etc., of a different kind. Although separateness is co-existent with the separateness of Two, etc., and therefore should be specified in the plural, like numbers, still its specification in the singular goes to indicate its difference from Numbers, namely, to be known or shown by its limits. Conjunction and Disjunction are statedin the dual number to show that both of them are the effects of one and the same act. Priority and Posteriority are stated in the dual number to show that they are to be known in relation to each other and that they are equally marks of Space and Time. The plural number in ‘understandings’ indicates the refutation of the theory of one and only one understanding held by the Saṃkhya thinkers, on the ground of its division into knowledge, etc. The dual number in Pleasure and Pain is intended to point out that both of them are causes of one effect which is distinguished as experience (bhoga) and that they are equally instrumental to the inference of adṛṣṭa, and also that even Pleasure resolves into Pain. The dual number in Desire and Aversion indicates that both of them are causes of Activity. The plural in Volitions is meant to show that ten kinds of volitions which comprise both permitted and prohibited acts, are causes of Virtue and that ten other kinds are causes of Vice.

Or, Colour, Taste, Smell, and Touch have been shown in a form to teach that they are the means of the disposition of the elemental senses or sense-organs or to establish the operation or changes due to heat. Number is mentioned in the plural number to indicate a refutation of tin’s that there is a contrariety in numbers, such as duality, plurality, etc. Separateness is separately mentioned to indicate that it is also plural on account of the plurality of Numbers, and also that its difference from Numbers lies in its being revealed by the knowledge of limits. In Measures or Extensions the plural number is meant to remove the contradiction of length, shortness, etc. The dual number in Conjunction and Disjunction points out their mutual opposition. Priority and Posteriority are mentioned also in the dual number lest it might be doubted that the division of Attributes is too narrow, because Priority and Posteriority may be four-fold by the possibility of their being different in kind by their difference as relating to Space and as relating to Time.

He will give their definition as he proceeds.—6.