Verse 3.6.5

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.6.5:

आकाशस्य प्रदेशेन भागैश्चान्यैः पृथक् पृथक् ।
सा संयोगविभागानामुपाधित्वाय कल्पते ॥ ५ ॥

ākāśasya pradeśena bhāgaiścānyaiḥ pṛthak pṛthak |
sā saṃyogavibhāgānāmupādhitvāya kalpate || 5 ||

5. Direction becomes the basis (upādhi) for the contacts and separations of Space with its divisions and of parts of other objects with them.

Commentary

It is now pointed out that immaterial things can also have artificial distinctions of priority and posteriority.

[Read verse 5 above]

[Even all-pervasive entities can have artificial divisions such as ‘first’ and ‘next’ or ‘farther’ and ‘nearer’. It has already been pointed out that space can have artificial divisions on the basis of objects which are in contact with it. This contact takes place in a particular region (deśa). That region is an artificial division of space. There is contact between such regions and parts of the objects which are on them. These objects are also described as ‘first’ or ‘next’ and ‘farther’ or ‘nearer’ on the basis of such a description of the divisions of space. Direction becomes the basis for the contact between objects.]

Remarks. The words Ākāśa, Dik and Deśa occur in the Vākyapadīya. It is, therefore, necessary to try to understand the three notions for which they stand. In Vaiśeṣika, Ākāśa and Dik come under the category of Substance. The former is defined as that Substance which is the substratum of the quality called sound. It is an all-pervading substance and is the medium for the propagation of sound. It is usually translated as ‘ether’. It fills the whole of Space and is, therefore, different from it. In the Upaniṣads, however, Ākāśa often means Space itself and not a substance which fills space. In the Vākyapadīya Ākāśa is looked upon as One without any real division of its own. In this sense, it is equal to space. That is why it is in contact with all the objects of the world to which it provides room or accommodation. Helārāja actually says that ākāśa is so called because it provides room (avakāśa) to everything: avakāśadānāddhi tadākāśam. (Vāk. III. Jā. 15). Even though One, it can be looked upon as many in terms of the various objects of the world which occupy space. The space occupied by each object is a part or a a portion of the one Space. Each of these parts or portions is a region (deśa) within Space. Moreover, these regions have a position in the scheme of things. We can say of a particular region that it is to the right of an object or to the left of it. There is something which is the cause of such notions as right and left and that is called Dik (Direction). According to the Vākyapadīya, it is not a separate entity. It is only a power or capacity of what is real. To say, therefore, that Bhartṛhari does not make any distinction between Ākāśa and Dik would not be correct. Ākāśa is Space and Dik is position or Direction. In this translation, I have used the word Direction for Dik.