Vaiśeṣika Sūtras
The Vaiśeṣika Sūtras are the foundational text of the Vaiśeṣika philosophical school, authored by Kaṇāda. The text systematizes an atomistic philosophy of reality and provides one of the earliest systematic treatments of logic and natural philosophy in India.
Overview
Composed around the 2nd century BCE to 2nd century CE, the text consists of approximately 370 sūtras organized into ten books (adhyāyas). It is one of the six orthodox (āstika) schools of Hindu philosophy and is closely allied with the Nyāya school, together forming the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika tradition.
Content and Structure
The Vaiśeṣika Sūtras classify all of reality into categories (padārthas): substance (dravya), quality (guṇa), action (karma), generality (sāmānya), particularity (viśeṣa), and inherence (samavāya). The text presents an atomistic theory of the physical world, explains causation through the conjunction of atoms, and provides an analysis of the self (ātman) and its relation to the body and mind.
Significance
The Vaiśeṣika school made pioneering contributions to Indian natural philosophy, logic, and metaphysics. Its categorical analysis influenced later Indian philosophical thought, and its atomistic theory was one of the most sophisticated ancient theories of matter. The Vaiśeṣika-Nyāya tradition remained influential in Indian intellectual life for over a millennium.
Verification Notes
- Authorship attributed to Kaṇāda (also known as Kaṇabhaksha or Ulūka).
- Audited against Wikipedia (September 2026).