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AHISTORY OF INDIAN LITERATURE EDITED BY JAN GONDA VOLUME VI Fasc. 2 1977 OTTO HARRASSOWITZ • WIESBADEN BIMAL KRISHNA MATILAL NYAYA-VAISESIKA 1977 OTTO HARRASSOWITZ • WIESBADEN A HISTORY OF INDIAN LITERATURE Contents of Vol. VI Vol. VI: Scientific and Technical Literature, Part III Fasc. 1: Fasc. 2: E. te Nijenhuis B. K. Matilal A. Kunst T. Gelblum M. Hulin B. Dagens N. N. Musicological Literature Nyaya-Vaise§ika Vedanta Yoga Philosophy Purva Mimamsa and Samkhya Philosophy Architecture, Sculpture, Technics Other Sciences CIP-Kurztitelaufnahme der Deutschen Bibliothek A history of Indian literature / ed. by Jan Gouda. - Wiesbaden : Harrassowitz. NE: Gonda , Jan [Hrsg.] Vol. 6. Scientific and technical literature: Pt. 3. Fasc. 2. -• Matilal, Bimal Krishna: Nyaya-Vaisesika Hstilal, Bimal Krishna Nyaya-Vaisesika. - Wiesbaden : Harrassowitz, 1977. (A history of Indian literature ; Vol. 6, Scientific and technical literature ; Fasc. 2) ISBN 3-447-01807-0 © Otto Harrassowitz, Wiesbaden 1977. Alle Rechte vorbehalten. Photographische und photomechanische Wiedergabe nur mit ausdrucklicher Genehmipung des Verlages. Gesamtherstellung: Allgauer Zeitungsverlag GmbH, Kempten. Printed in Germany. Sigel: HIL. CONTENTS CHAPTER I Vaisesika 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. CHAPTER II CHAPTER III Vaisesika-Sutras The 'Dark Period' Prasastapada, Candramati Commentaries on Pras*astapada Srivallabha and Vadi-vagisvara Commentaries on the Vaisesika-sutras 53 59 62 67 72 73 The Early Nydya School 7. Nyaya-Sutras 76 8. VatsyAyana 80 9. Uddyotakara 85 10. Some Lost Nyaya Works in the Post-Uddyotakara Period 91 11. Jayanta Bhatta .. 92 12. Bhasarvajna 94 13. VAcaspati MiSra I 95 14. Udayana 96 Navya-Nydya 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. The Beginning of Navya-nyaya Manikantha and SaSadhara Gangesa Vardhamana and the MithilA School The Bengal School of Navya-nyaya 101 102 103 105 107 Biographical References 113 Greneral Bibliography 115 Modern Authors .. . . 118 Abbreviations 119 Index 120 Bimal Krishna Matilal NYAYA-VAlSESIKA CHAPTEB I VAISESIKA 1. The Vaisesika-Sutras The VaiSesika system, which deals with the analysis of nature, takes its name from vtiesa "particularity". Starting from the principle that the particulars of the world, especially the atoms and the souls, are eternal and the objects which we experience and which are made up of parts are non-eternal it develops an atomic theory in connexion with the substances of earth, water, light, and air (space). Although this system is earlier than the Nyaya, which discusses the problem of knowledge and analyzes the ways in which knowledge is acquired, it has assumed the main logical principles which were developed in the other system. The NyAya derives its name from nyaya, the rules of logical thinking, the means of determining the right meaning or the right thing. Buddhists as well as Jainas had a share in the development of these systems. Regarding the early history of both Nyaya and VaiSesika, we know very little. But unlike the Samkhya School, the earliest systematic presentation of NyAya philosophy as well as VaiSesika philosophy starts with the Sutra texts. The NyAya-sutras are ascribed to AksapAda Gotama, while the Vaisesika-sutras are ascribed to Kanada or Uluka. The extant Sutra texts of both schools, however, underwent various stages of development, modification and addition before their final compilation. Both works are largely unintelligible without a commentary. In all probability they were mnemonics summing up in definite form the doctrines that had long been discussed in these schools of philosophy. As such they formed so t