Vaiseshika Philosophy - Part I

Vaiseshika Darsana

Kanada wrote the Vaiseshikha darsana and described six elements of advice, which are:

• Substance
• Attribute or quality
• Action or movement
• Generic concomitance or particularity
• Variant factor or generality
• Inseparable concomitance or inherence

Later, commentators added “non-existence” as the seventh element.

This school of philosophy strongly believes that pain in the body and mind can be alleviated through the proper understanding and implementation of the six elements of advice.

This school propounds the theory that the entire universe is made of atoms, which, when united, create an object. The property of an object or substance is based on the qualities and properties of the constituent atoms. It also explains two theories of transformation, namely, transformation (by heat) at the atomic level and natural transformation at a molecular level. However, this school of thought accepts only the first theory.

This school has explained the six elements in detail and Ayurveda has adopted the same six elements. As per Vaiseshika Darsana, similar qualities indicate race. However, in Ayurveda, it is understood as similar in appearance, similar in quality and similar in action.

The atomic theory is one of the eminent theories of this school. According to this theory, the constituent parts of every atom exist with invariable concomitance. Charaka accepted the existence of the atom and stated that minute parts of the body are innumerable and invisible. Though the concepts of qualities and attributes were taken from this school, Charaka added about 17 qualities and went on to mention 41 attributes and qualities.