वेदान्त पारिजात सौरभ (भगवद् निम्बार्काचार्य - द्वैताद्वैत वेदान्त ब्रह्मसूत्र भाष्य सटीक)

[sū. 2. 2. 11 ADH. 2.] VEDĀNTA-KAUSTUBHA 339 to be the producer of other evolutes ¹,—there is inconsistency in the origin of the binary compounds from the atoms, and there is all the more inconsistency in the origin of ternary compounds from these (binary compounds) Like this, everything admitted by the main- tainers of the atomic view is inconsistent. Vedānta-kaustubha Apprehending the objection, viz . Let pradhāna, not superin- tended by an intelligent principle, be not the cause of the world; but let the groups of atoms, under the control of the wish of the Supreme Lord, be the cause of the world,—the author is now pointing out the inconsistencies in the atomic doctrine as well The procedure of the atomists is the following: A substance produces another substance, a quality another quality; and the pro- duction of the effect proceeds from three causes, viz. the inherent, the non-inherent and efficient ²; just as an effect, viz. a piece of cloth, is produced by the threads which are the inherent cause, by their mutual conjunction which is the non-inherent cause, and by the shuttle, the loom, the weaver and the rest, which are the efficient cause. Like- wise, there are four kinds of atoms, distinguished as earth-atoms, water-atoms, fire-atoms and air-atoms; and they are eternal, without parts, possessed of colour and the rest, and spherical in extension, and remain without producing effects at the time of dissolution. At the time of creation, the atoms become the inherent cause for the production of the effect (viz. the world), their conjunction, the non- inherent cause, and the unseen principle ³ the efficient cause. Thus, through the wish of the Lord, first motion arises in the air-atoms, then a conjunction (between them) and thereby an effect, viz. a binary compound, arises from two atoms; a ternary compound arises from three binary compounds; a quaternary compound arises from four ternary compounds, and so on, and through this process, finally, the great air arises and remains trembling in space. In the very same manner, fire arises from the fire-atoms and remains shining in the form of earthly fire and so on. In the very same manner, the great ¹ C.S.S. ed. reads “parimāṇa” instead of “pariṇāma”, p. 31. ² Samavāyin, asamavāyin, nimitta. ³ I.e. the merit or demerit attaching to a man's conduct in one state of existence and the corresponding reward or punishment with which he is visited in another.