Qualities (7): Pṛthaktva (Distinctness)

Difference between two things is regarded as a quality in Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika philosophy. According to Praśastapāda, the cause which separates one thing pracayaḥ śithilākhyo yaḥ saṃyogastena janyate// Bhāṣāpariccheda, p. 203 from all other things is called pṛthaktva.^[1] Śivāditya gives the definition of pṛthaktva that is pṛthaktva which has the generality of distinctness and which is the special cause of the common usage of differentiation of one thing from another.^[2] Viśvanātha defines separateness is the cause of the notion of a thing being separate.^[3]

Annaṃbhaṭṭa simply says that the special cause of the usage of one thing being different from other is called pṛthaktva.^[4] In this definition the word ‘special cause’ is used to remove the over-pervasion to kāla, dik etc. Dik, kāla etc. are the cause of all uses but they are not special cause.^[5] This quality exists in all dravyas.^[6] It is nitya when it is in the nityadravyas and it is anitya when it is in the anityadravyas. Atom is nitya, so its pṛthaktva is also nitya. But pṛthaktva of a jar is anitya because it is composite products. This guṇa is destroyed when its substrates are destroyed.^[7]