Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.4

धर्मविशेषप्रसूताद् द्रव्यगुणकर्मसामान्यविशेषसमवायानां पदार्थानां साधर्म्यवैधर्म्याभ्यां तत्त्वज्ञानान्निःश्रेयसम् ॥४॥

From specific dharma arises knowledge of the true nature of the categories—substance, quality, action, generality, particularity, and inherence—through similarity and dissimilarity; from this knowledge comes liberation.

Born from the special characteristics of DHARMA, 'padarthas' i.e. those represented by words' meanings, based on their underlying common and differentiated DHARMAS can be classified as substance (dravya), qualities (guṇa), duties (karma), generality (sāmānya), particularity (viśēṣa), and inherence (samavāyā). Knowledge of their true principles is productive of ultimate good.