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i) Origin of the Vaisesika Philosophy The term Vaisesika is derived from the term visesa, which means particularity or distinguishing feature or distinction. It lays stress on particularity (visesa) of the eternal substances. Ether, space, time, souls, internal organs, and the atoms of earth, water, fire and air are eternal. Each of them has particularity which is its distinctive feature. Vaisesika emphasizes the plurality and distinctness of physical things and Individual souls. Its special feature is the doctrine of atomism. The Vaisesika School is earlier than Purvamimamsa, Vedanta and the Nyaya School. We have found that Vaisesika is a Pre-Buddhistic School. Vaisesika sutras were written before 37. 38. saptavimsatirme prapte parivarte kramagate, jatukarnyo yada vyaso bhavisyati tapodhanah.201 tadaham sambhavisyami somasarma dvijottamah, prabhasatirthamasadya yogatma lokavisrutah.202 tatrapi mama te putra bhavisyanti tapodhanah, aksapadah kanadasca uluko vatsa eva ca.203 Vayupurana adhyaya. 23. as quoted in Sacred Books of Hindus Vol. VIII. p. vi. Vide Weber's History of Indian Literature p. 140. as quoted in Ibid. p. ix.

13 39 Badarayana's Brahmasutras. where as the Nyayasutras were later than it. Because. Badarayana Sutras make allusions to the Vaisesika doctrines and not to the Nyaya. D.N.Sastri shows that the Chinese collection of Buddhist Tripitaka included only two works of the orthodox systems of the philosophy. One is Samkhya-karika of Isvarakrsna and the other is a Vaisesika treatise Dasapadartha-sastra by Chandramati. Their inclusion indicates that the two schools represented by these works. viz. the Samkhya and the Vaisesika. Thus, we can say that the Samkhya and the Vaisesika emerged in preBuddhistic period. Again, some of the Vaisesika doctrines. more notably the theory of the non-existence of an effect before its production (asatkaryavadu), appear to be pre-Buddhistic. ii) Founder of the Vaisesika System Kanada is the founder of Vaisesika system. The first and the only ancient text extent is the Vaisesika sutra ascribed to the sage Kanada or Kanabhaksa. He is referred to by several names. He is known as Kanada because of his atomic theory; the etymology is supposed to give us "atom-eater" for the name. Some people said that he was a man of nocturnal habits, and as young women were frightened by the sight of him. He afterwards went in secret mills. picked up pieces of corn from rice-bran and ate them. There fore he is known as "rice-grain-eater" (Kanabhuj or bhaksa). Again he is known as "uluka" (owl). Because, the God Mahadeva appeared to him in the form of an 39. The philosophy of Nyaya-Vaisheshika and its Conflict with the Buddhist Dignaga School pp. 83-84. under FN. 13. 40. Ibid. p.84 41. Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophy Vol.II. p.211. T 615

14 owl and revealed the Vaisesika System. 42 So, the Vaisesika system is known as the Kanada system or the Auluka system. He is also known as Kasyapa. Date of Kanada: According to Karl H Potter, Kanada is a mythical personage. He says that the Vaisesika system had its beginnings at some independent time B.C.43 Kautilya's Arthasastra includes under Anviksiki, only 44 the Samkhya, the Yoga and the Lokayata systems has been adduced by Jacobi to show that the Vaisesika or the Nyaya as a School is later than 300 B.C., the date of the Artha-sastra.45