Vaisesika Sūtra 9.1.01

क्रियागुणव्यवदेशाऽभावात् प्रगऽसत् ॥१॥

kriyā-guṇa-vyavadeśa-abhāvāt praga-asat ॥1॥

[क्रिया (kriyā) - action; गुण (guṇa) - quality; व्यवदेश (vyavadeśa) - verbal reference; अभावात् (abhāvāt) - due to absence; प्रक् (prag) - before; असत् (asat) - non-existent;]

Due to the absence of reference to action and quality, the prior is non-existent.