Gunas in Nyaya Shastra (न्यायशास्त्रानुसारेण गुणनिरुपणम्)

परिचयः ॥ Introduction

In this article, the word Nyaya-Shastra is used to refer to both Nyaya and vaisheshika darshanas combined.  Although Nyaya and vaisheshika are two different darshanas, or schools of philosophy, they are traditionally studied together under the common title Nyaya-Shastra. Wherein the classification and nature of padartha (elements) are discussed as per vaisheshika darshana, and the classification and nature of pramana (means of valid source of knowledge) are discussed as per the nyaya darshana.

As per the Nyaya-Shastra, the valid knowledge of the seven padarthas leads a person to moksha or final emancipation from the cycle of life and death.

धर्मविशेषप्रसूताद् द्रव्यगुणकर्मसामान्यविशेषसमवायानां पदार्थानां साधर्म्यवैधर्म्याभ्यां तत्त्वज्ञानान्निःश्रेयसम् | dharmmaviśeṣaprasūtād dravyaguṇakarmasāmānyaviśeṣasamavāyānāṃ padārthanāṃ sādharmyavaidharmyābhyāṃ tattvajñānānniḥśreyasam

The seven padarthas are dravya (substance), guna (Quality,) karma (Action), samanya (Generality,) vishesha (particularity), samavaya (inherence) and abhava (non-existence). Understanding these categories, along with their similarities and differences, leads to niḥśreyas or highest good.

In this article, we will discuss guna, including its definition according to Nyaya-shastra, its types, subtypes, and other important characteristics as described in introductory texts such as Tarkasangraha and Nyayasiddhantamuktavali.

लक्षणम् ॥ Definition

Guna is defined in tarkasangraha as follows:

द्रव्यकर्मभिन्नत्वे सति सामान्यवान् गुणः | dravyakarmabhinnatve sati sāmānyavān guṇaḥ

The aforementioned definition is composed of two segments: dravyakarmabhinnatvam and samanyavattvam

1. dravyakarmabhinnatvam is a segment which differentiates guṇa from dravya and karma. dravya, guna and karma all three are padarthas, and also possess samanya. Due to these similarities, if guna is just defined as samanyavaan, the definition may also apply to dravya and karma resulting in its fallacy called over-application or ativyapti. Thus, the segment dravyakarmabhinnatvam differentiates guna from dravya and karma.
2. Samanyavattvam refers to characteristics of possessing samanya or generality. As per the nyaya-shastra, dravya, guna and karma are the elements which possess samanya. So, samanyavattvam is a distinguishing quality of these three elements. If one attempts to define guna with just one segment  i.e dravyakarmabhinnatvam, then the definition may apply to all other four padartha which are not guna, but are different from dravya and karma. This again leads to the aforementioned fallacy of over-application or ativyapti. By adding this segment, guna is properly distinguished from the other four padarthas, resulting in effective avoidance of the definitional fallacy.

In brief, guṇa is a padārtha that possesses sāmānya and is different from dravya and karma.

Nyāyasiddhāntamuktāvalī, one of the elementary texts of Nyāyaśāstra states:

अथ द्रव्याश्रिता ज्ञेया निर्गुणा निष्क्रिया गुणाः | atha dravyāśritā jñeyā nirguṇā niṣkriyā guṇāḥ

This implies that guṇas inherently abide in dravya and do not exist independently. Also, neither a guna nor a karma exists within a guna.

We will discuss a detailed classification of these gunas in the next section and discuss how each of these guṇas exists within one or more dravya.