Sūtra 7.1.22 (Ether and Soul possess infinite Measure or Extension)

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration, Word-for-word and English translation of Vaiśeṣika sūtra 7.1.22:

विभवान्महानाकाशः तथा चात्मा ॥ ७.१.२२ ॥

vibhavānmahānākāśaḥ tathā cātmā || 7.1.22 ||

vibhavāt—in consequence of omnipresence, infinite expansion, or universality; mahān—vast; Immense. Infinitely large. ākāśaḥ—Ether; tathā—so, The same; ca—and, Also; ātmā—Soul.

22. Ether, in consequence of its vast expansion, is infinitely large. So also is the Soul.

Commentary: The Upaskāra of Śaṅkara Miśra:

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

He describes the nature or proper from of the Measure or Extension of Ether, etc. which has been already inferred by the mark of their substance-ness.

[Read sūtra 7.1.22 above]

‘Vibhavaḥ’ denotes capacity for conjunction, or the characteristic of being in conjunction, with all dense bodies; and this, being impossible, or incapable of proof, without vast magnitude, leads to the inference of vast magnitude. It is also observed by us that Sounds are produced, just at one and the same time, both at Bārāṇasī (=Vārāṇasī, Benares) and at Pāṭaliputra (Patna); It is one and the same Ether that is here the combinative cause. Consequently the pervasion of Ether is proved. Pervasion, again, consists only in connection with infinitely vast Measure or Extension. To suppose a diversity of Ether would be superfluous; hence only one Ether should be recognised. Such reference as “A portion or division of Ether,” is, however, relative, being due to conjunction with the water-pot, etc., (occupying a limited space, or) possessing limits. And the relativity consists in the characteristic of being in conjunction with substances possessing limits.

‘Tathā ātmā’: As Ether is immensely vast, since it possesses universal pervasion, that is, the characteristic of being in conjunction with all dense bodies, so is also the Soul immensely vast. Did not the characteristic of being in conjunction with all dense bodies belong to Soul, then action would not be produced in the respective dense bodies, as a result of conjunction of the Soul carrying its adṛṣṭa or destiny, inasmuch as adṛṣṭa, being present in a different substratum, is dependent upon or stands in need of, ‘proximity,’ (or a common platform), in order that it may be productive of action; and that‘proximity’ is nothing but conjunction of the Soul carrying its adṛṣṭa. Likewise, as the body moves on, the production of knowledge, pleasure, etc., in particular situations, is impossible or incapable of proof except on the theory of the universal pervasion of the Soul. Consequently, the Soul also is pervasive. The Soul, however, is not only one, like Ether, since, as has been already pointed out, difference of status or condition is observed. This is the import.

In these cases, the magnitude is infinite, and is also eternal, like the minuteness of the ultimate atom.

In like manner, should be inferred infinite length in the case of Ether, etc., and infinite shortness in the case of the ultimate atom.—22.