The Vaisesika Sutras of Kanada

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The Vaisesika is one of the well-known Six Schools of Hindu philosophy. It was first presented to the civilized world by the great sage Aulakva, otherwise known as Kasyapa, and, still better, as Kanada, in the form of more or less three hundred and seventy Sútras or short, pithy sayings. Of the author of these aphorisms, very little can be known at the present day. It would appear, from the distinctive appellation by which he is recognised in the vast field of Sanskrit Literature, that he was the son' of Ulaka.

1. The word Aulakya is derived from the word Ulaka with the affix Yan, according to the rule of Panini that words, denoting the lineal, male descendants of Garga and others, are derived from the words Garga and others. Now, it can be very easily shown that Aulakhya is none else than Kandda himself. Thus, in the koda, a lexicon of that name, we find. "Feedges:"- that the name Aulakya should be understood to denote the Vaiferika. In the Nydya-Varmika also it has been declared. "free- देशवृतिर्विवचवृतिः स्वाश्रयात् शब्दरचाशुषत्वात् औलूम्यपक्षे" on which Vacaspati Mitra comments that the word 's' shows that the above is not the view of the Myaya School who maintain that combination is perceptible to the senses, but that of Aulakya. And in the commentary of Sankara Mitra on the aphorism 26 and 28 of the second chapter of the seventh book, we shall find that, according to Kanada, combination is super-sensible. Combination is, again, referred to as fer: the conclusion of Aulakys, in Bhana Kumarila's gloss of Tantra-Vartika, 1.1.4. In Hemacandra's Abhidhana-Cintamani, also, the Vaifesikas, are called Aulukyas. And lastly, in the Sarva-Dariana-Samgraha, Madhava-Acarya gives an account of the philosophical theories of Kanada under the heading of Aulakya-Dariana.

And scion of the highly spiritual family of Kasyapa.' He resided at Prabhasa, possibly the modern Pabhosa in the Allahabad district (for an account of which, see the Modern Review for June 1909), and was the disciple of Soma Sarma who was an incarnation of Lord Siva. He lived a pigeon-life, and used for his daily bread, particles or rice lying scattered on public streets. That is why he came to be called by the significant surname of Kanada' with its variant Kanabhuk or Kanabhaksa, meaning one who feeds upon particles. By such austerities he pleased the mighty Lord Siva, the Grand Master of all learning, who, appearing in the form of an owl, as tradition has it, delivered to him the truths about the Six Predicables, viz., Substance, Attribute, Action, Genus, Species, and Combination, and appointed him to compose a treatise, embodying those truths for the benefit of the world.

**Contents and Sample Pages**