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| * Vaiśeṣika school of philosophy accepts only two reliable means to knowledge: Pratyaksha pramana (perception) and Anumana pramana (inference).[2][3] | | * Vaiśeṣika school of philosophy accepts only two reliable means to knowledge: Pratyaksha pramana (perception) and Anumana pramana (inference).[2][3] |
| * Vaiśeṣika considers their scriptures as indisputable and valid means to knowledge, and acknowledge that Vedas are the foundation of their siddhantas. | | * Vaiśeṣika considers their scriptures as indisputable and valid means to knowledge, and acknowledge that Vedas are the foundation of their siddhantas. |
− | * Vaisheshika school is known for its insights in naturalism or Padarthajnana.[4] | + | * Vaisheshika school is known for its insights in naturalism or Padarthajnana.[4] It recognizes nine ultimate substances : Five material or perceivable substances and four inanimate or non-material substances. The five material substances are: Earth, water, fire, air and ''akasha''. The four non-material substances are: space, time, soul and mind. Earth, water, fire and air are atomic but ''akasha'' is non-atomic and infinite. |
| * It postulated that all objects in the physical universe are reducible to paramāṇu (atoms), which are indivisible, eternal, neither can be created or destroyed. Thus the Vaishesika explains the atomic theory far before any western discovery. | | * It postulated that all objects in the physical universe are reducible to paramāṇu (atoms), which are indivisible, eternal, neither can be created or destroyed. Thus the Vaishesika explains the atomic theory far before any western discovery. |
− | * Human experiences are derived from the interplay of substance (a function of atoms, their number and their spatial arrangements), quality, activity, commonness, particularity and inherence.[6] | + | * Human experiences are derived from the interplay of substance (a function of atoms, their number and their spatial arrangements), quality, activity, commonness, particularity and inherence.[6] |
| + | * Vaisheshika contends that every effect is a fresh creation or a new beginning. Thus this system refutes the theory of pre-existence of the effect in the cause as does the Vedic philosophy. |
| + | * Kanada's Vaiseshika does not discuss much on God although this system accepts that God (''Ishvara'' ) is the efficient cause of the world. The eternal atoms are the material cause of the world. |
| * According to Vaiśeṣika school, knowledge and liberation are achievable by the complete understanding of the world of experience.[6] | | * According to Vaiśeṣika school, knowledge and liberation are achievable by the complete understanding of the world of experience.[6] |
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| Although the Vaisheshika system developed independently from the Nyaya school of Hinduism, the two became similar and are often studied together. In its classical form, however, the Vaishesika school differed from the Nyaya in one crucial respect: where Nyaya accepted four sources of valid knowledge, the Vaishesika accepted only two.[2][3] | | Although the Vaisheshika system developed independently from the Nyaya school of Hinduism, the two became similar and are often studied together. In its classical form, however, the Vaishesika school differed from the Nyaya in one crucial respect: where Nyaya accepted four sources of valid knowledge, the Vaishesika accepted only two.[2][3] |
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− | The epistemology of Vaiśeṣika school of Hinduism accepted only two reliable means to knowledge - perception and inference.[2]
| + | Vaiśeṣika school of Hinduism accepted only two reliable means to knowledge - perception and inference.[2] |
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| Vaisheshika espouses a form of atomism, that the reality is composed of four substances (earth, water, air, fire). Each of these four are of two types, explains Ganeri,[5] atomic (paramāṇu) and composite (analogous to molecule). <blockquote>An "'''Anu'''" is that which is small, indestructible (anitya), indivisible, and has a special kind of dimension. </blockquote><blockquote>A '''composite''' is that which is divisible into atoms. Whatever human beings perceive is composite, and even the smallest perceptible thing, namely, a fleck of dust, has parts, which are therefore invisible.[5] </blockquote>The Vaiśeṣikas visualized the smallest composite thing as a “triad” (tryaṇuka) with three parts, each part with a “dyad” (dyaṇuka). Vaiśeṣikas believed that a dyad has two parts, each of which is an atom. Size, form, truths and everything that human beings experience as a whole is a function of atoms, their number and their spatial arrangements. | | Vaisheshika espouses a form of atomism, that the reality is composed of four substances (earth, water, air, fire). Each of these four are of two types, explains Ganeri,[5] atomic (paramāṇu) and composite (analogous to molecule). <blockquote>An "'''Anu'''" is that which is small, indestructible (anitya), indivisible, and has a special kind of dimension. </blockquote><blockquote>A '''composite''' is that which is divisible into atoms. Whatever human beings perceive is composite, and even the smallest perceptible thing, namely, a fleck of dust, has parts, which are therefore invisible.[5] </blockquote>The Vaiśeṣikas visualized the smallest composite thing as a “triad” (tryaṇuka) with three parts, each part with a “dyad” (dyaṇuka). Vaiśeṣikas believed that a dyad has two parts, each of which is an atom. Size, form, truths and everything that human beings experience as a whole is a function of atoms, their number and their spatial arrangements. |