Sūtra 5.2.11 (Cause of thundering)

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 5.2.11:

अपां संयोगाद्विभागाच्च स्तनयित्नोः ॥ ५.२.११ ॥

apāṃ saṃyogādvibhāgācca stanayitnoḥ || 5.2.11 ||

apām—of waters; saṃyogāt—from conjunction; vibhāgāt—from disjunction; ca—and; stanayitnoḥ—of cloud.

11. (Thunder-clap results) from conjunction with, and disjunction from, water, of the cloud.

Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:

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

But how is thundering produced, since conjunction and disjunction, which are the causes of Sound, are not observed? Hence he says:

[Read sūtra 5.2.11 above]

“Visphurjjathuḥ” is the complement of the aphorism. Conjunction with, and disjunction from, water, of the cloud, by becoming efficient causes, produce sound, i.e., thundering, in ether as the combinative cause through the conjunction of the cloud itself with ether, as the non-combinative cause. Sometimes, again, conjunction with, and disjunction from, air, of the cloud, are the efficient causes, and conjunction of the cloud with ether, and its disjunction therefrom, are the non-combinative causes. This is collaterally mentioned in the topic of the causes of action. Or, since action is the leading topic here, it is indicated that, conjunction of the cloud and ether, or their disjunction being the non-combinative cause of sound, the (efficient) cause is action produced from the impulse and impact of water alone—11.

Commentary: The Vivṛti of Jayanārāyaṇa:

(English extracts of Jayanārāyaṇa Tarkapañcānana’s Vivṛti or ‘gloss’ called the Kaṇādasūtravivṛti from the 17th century)

Thundering takes place from the conjunction of water, i.e., from the impact of air with it, and from its disjunction from the cloud.