ve to be made if it
were generally admitted that a new substance is produced only by the
conjunction of several causal substances. But if it is admitted that a
causal substance may originate a new substance by passing over into a
qualified state after having previously existed free from
qualifications, in its pure generality, it follows that the effected
substance may be destroyed by its solidity being dissolved, just as the
hardness of ghee is dissolved by the action of fire[371].--Thus there
would result, from the circumstance of the atoms having colour, &c., the
opposite of what the Vai/s/eshikas mean. For this reason also the atomic
doctrine cannot be maintained.

16. And as there are difficulties in both cases.

Earth has the qualities of smell, taste, colour, and touch, and is
gross; water has colour, taste, and touch, and is fine; fire has colour
and touch, and is finer yet; air is finest of all, and has the quality
of touch only. The question now arises whether the atoms constituting
the four elements are to be assumed to possess the same greater or
smaller number of qualities as the respective elements.--Either
assumption leads to unacceptable consequences. For if we assume that
some kinds of atoms have more numerous qualities, it follows that their
solid size (murti) will be increased thereby, and that implies their
being atoms no longer. That an increase of qualities cannot take place
without a simultaneous increase of size we infer from our observations
concerning effected material bodies.--If, on the other hand, we assume,
in order to save the equality of atoms of all kinds, that there is no
difference in the number of their qualities, we must either suppose that
they have all one quality only; but in that case we should not perceive
touch in fire nor colour and touch in water, nor taste, colour, and
touch in earth, since the qualities of the effects have for their
antecedents the qualities of the causes. Or else we must suppose all
atoms to have all the four qualities; but in that case we should
necessarily perceive what we actually do not perceive, viz. smell in
water, smell and taste in fire, smell, taste, and colour in air.--Hence
on this account also the atomic doctrine shows itself to be
unacceptable.

17. And as the (atomic theory) is not accepted (by any authoritative
persons) it is to be disregarded altogether.

While the theory of the pradhana being the cause of the world has been
accepted by