- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.1
athāto dharmaṁ vyākhyāsyāmaḥ ॥1॥
Now, therefore, we shall explain the concept of 'DHARMA'.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.2
yato’bhyudaya-niḥśreyasa-siddhiḥ sa dharmaḥ ॥2॥
That from which the welfare, ultimate good, and accomplishments results is DHARMA.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.3
tad-vacanād-āmnāyasya prāmāṇyam ॥3॥
That, i.e. DHARMA, is deciphered from scriptural statements that are 'pramanas', i.e. valid source of knowledge.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.4
dharma-viśeṣa-prasūtāt dravya-guṇa-karma-sāmānya-viśeṣa-samavāyānāṁ padārthānāṁ sādharmya-vaidharmyābhyāṁ tattva-jñānāt niḥśreyasam ॥4॥
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.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.5
pṛthivī-āpas-tejo-vāyur-ākāśaṁ kālo dig-ātmā mana iti dravyāṇi ॥5॥
The Earth, the water, the fire, the air, the space, the time, the directions, the ātmān, i.e. essence of being, and the mind are dravyas.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.6
rūpa-rasa-gandha-sparśāḥ saṅkhyāḥ parimāṇāni pṛthaktvaṁ saṁyoga-vibhāgau paratva-aparatve buddhayaḥ sukha-duḥkhe icchā-dveṣau prayatnāś ca guṇāḥ ॥6॥
The form, taste, smell, touch, hearing, their count in multiples, their effects individually, in conjunction, and in disjunction, their material existence and beyond, understanding resulting from it, consequent pleasure and pain experienced, resulting wish and hatred, arising of drive are the gunas, i.e. qualities.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.7
utkṣepaṇam avakṣepaṇam ākuñcanaṁ prasāraṇaṁ gamanam iti karmāṇi ॥7॥
Ascending, descending, contracting, spreading, and moving are 'karmas' i.e. actions.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.8
sad-anityaṁ dravyavat kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ sāmānya-viśeṣa-vad iti dravya-guṇa-karmaṇām aviśeṣaḥ ॥8॥
The substances because of cause and effect manifest into being (sat) and non-being (anitya), and are classified as generality (sāmānya) and particularity (viśēṣa). Thus the substance, qualities and actions are present without particularity.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.9
dravya-guṇayoḥ sajātīya-ārambhakatvaṁ sādharmyam ॥9॥
Substances and qualities, both having beginning in the same class, is pocessed with 'sadharma', i.e. common DHARMA, i.e. common properties.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.10
dravyāṇi dravyāntaram ārabhante guṇāś ca guṇāntaram ॥10॥
From the substances originates variance in substances, and similarly, from qualities manifest variances in qualities.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.11
karma karma-sādhyaṁ na vidyate ॥11॥
It does not appear that movement comes forth from movement.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.12
na dravyaṁ kāryaṁ kāraṇaṁ ca badhati ॥12॥
The substance does not bind to the cause and its effect.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.13
ubhayathā guṇāḥ ॥13॥
But both (movement and substance) have qualities.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.14
kārya-virodhi karma ॥14॥
Movement is opposed to effect.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.15
kriyā-guṇavat samavāyikāraṇam iti dravya-lakṣaṇam ॥15॥
The characteristics of the substance are governed by movement possessed with qualities and its inherent causes.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.16
dravyāśrayya-guṇavān saṁyoga-vibhāgeṣu akāraṇam anapekṣa iti guṇa-lakṣaṇam ॥16॥
Qualities take shelter in dependent combination and disjunction of substances, uncaused by the mind. This is the characteristics of qualities (guna).
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.17
eka-dravyam-aguṇaṁ saṁyoga-vibhāgeṣu anapekṣa-kāraṇam iti karma-lakṣaṇam ॥17॥
A single substance is without qualities, and is independent of the cause, by its combination and disjunction. This is the characteristics of movement (karma).
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.18
dravya-guṇa-karmaṇāṁ dravyaṁ kāraṇaṁ sāmānyam ॥18॥
The substance is the general cause of substances, qualities, and movements.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.19
tathā guṇaḥ ॥19॥
So are qualities.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.20
saṁyoga-vibhāga-vegānāṁ karma sāmānam ॥20॥
Movement is the generality of the speed of combination and disjunction.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.21
na dravyāṇāṁ karma ॥21॥
Movement (karma) is not from the substances.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.22
vyatirekāt ॥22॥
Due to its difference from it.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.23
dravyāṇāṁ dravyaṁ kāryaṁ sāmānyam ॥23॥
Effect of substance is the common generality among the substances.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.24
guṇa-vaidharmyān na karmaṇāṁ karma ॥24॥
Due to movement brought about by variance in the qualities, because of their respective DHARMAs, results in movement, i.e. Karma.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.25
dvitva-prabhṛtayaḥ saṅkhyāḥ pṛthaktva-saṁyoga-vibhāgāś ca ॥25॥
From it comes separateness, multiplicity, individuality, combination, and disjunction as well.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.26
asamavāyāt sāmānya-kāryaṁ karma na vidyate ॥26॥
Due to absence of generality (as each substance is bound to have some differences), the common effects of action do not come to light.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.27
saṁyogānāṁ dravyam ॥27॥
The substances are formed by conjunction.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.28
rūpāṇāṁ rūpam ॥28॥
(Similarly), by (the conjunction of) forms, forms come about.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.29
gurutva-prayatna-saṁyogānām utkṣepaṇam ॥29॥
By the striving of gravity, 'conjunction' comes about.
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.30
saṁyoga-vibhāgāś ca karmaṇām ॥30॥
Combination and Disjunction comes about by action (karma).
- Vaisesika Sūtra 1.1.31
kāraṇa-sāmānye dravya-karmaṇāṁ karma akāraṇam uktam ॥31॥
The substances are caused because of the effect of generality, and it is spoken as though action is not the cause.