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Gurutva (Sanskrit: गुरुत्व) is one of the twenty four gunas mentioned in the joint school of Nyaya - Vaisheshika system in the Indian philosophy. The Indian philosopher Praśastapāda had mentioned the term gurutva for the cause of the act of falling, in his commentary text Praśastapādabhāṣya on the Vaisheshika Sutra of Maharshi Kanada. According to him, gurutva is the quality of the paramanus of prithvi and ap (water).

Etymology

Gurutva is a Sanskrit word made from two terms guru and tva. The term guru has meaning of weight or heaviness. And the term tva is a Sanskrit affix to convert an adjective word into an abstract noun. When the affix term tva is added after the term guru, then the compound word gurutva takes the form of an abstract noun.

Description

According to the joint school of Nyaya-Vaisheshika system, gurutva is the twelfth quality among the twenty four gunas accepted in the system. Praśastapāda states that the quality of gurutva is invisible, it can be inferred "through the action of falling".

In the commentary texts Padarthadharmasamgraha of Prashastapada and Nyayakandali of Shridhara, the Gurutva is an imperceptible quality of the dravyas prithvi and jala. It cannot be perceived by any of the sense organs. It is only inferable from its effect of the falling of substances. Sankara Mishra in his commentary text Upaskara explained the sutra 5.1.7 of the Vaisheshika Sutra which gives the reference of the term gurutva. According to him, gurutva is the cause of falling in the absence of conjunction. He states that the term conjunction indicates every type of impediments.

Existence

The existence of gurutva is eternal in the paramanus of the dravyas of prithvi and jala but its existence in composite materials is non eternal.

Neutralisation

The quality of gurutva is eternal existence in the paramanus of the dravyas so it can't be destroyed. But the effect of gurutva can be neutralised by conjunction, effort and faculty (speed form). When gurutva is interrupted by these, it's effect is neutralised. In the text Vaisheshika Sutra, there is a sutra regarding conjunction as

॥ संयोगाभावे गुरुत्वात् पतनम् ॥ ॥ saṃyogābhāve gurutvāt patanam ॥

— Maharshi Kanada, Vaisheshika Sutra, 5.1.7 (Sutra)

The Vaisheshika sutra 5.17 translates as "In the absence of conjunction, gurutva causes falling effect".

Similarly there is a sutra regarding saṃskāra (speed form) as

॥ संस्काराभावे गुरुत्वात् पतनम् ॥ ॥ saṃskārābhāve gurutvāt patanam ॥

— Vaisheshika Sutra, 5.1.18

The Vaisheshika sutra 5.1.18 translates as "In the absence of propulsive energy generated by action (saṃskāra), gurutva causes falling effect".

Classification

In the combined Nyayavaisesika school, the twenty four gunas are divided into two types on the basis of generality and speciality of the gunas. They are sāmānya guṇas (general qualities) and viśeṣa guṇas (special qualities). The gunas which exist in two or more than two dravyas are called as sāmānya guṇas and similarly the gunas which specially exist in only one type of dravya are called as viśeṣa guṇas. Since gurutva exists in the two types of dravyas namely prithvi and jala, so it is classified as a sāmānya guṇa.

References

1. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2022-12-16). "Qualities (12): Gurutva (Heaviness)". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
2. Chari, S. M. Srinivasa (1988). Fundamentals of Visista. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 978-81-208-0266-7.
3. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2017-06-16). "Gurutva: 20 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
4. Kumar, ShashiPrabha (2019-05-15). Categories, Creation and Cognition in Vaiśeṣika Philosophy. Springer. ISBN 978-981-13-2965-4.
5. Journal of the Kerala University Oriental Research Institute and Manuscripts Library (in Sanskrit). S.V.G. Press. 1897.
6. Vatsyayan, Kapila (1988). Kalātattvakośa: A Lexicon of Fundamental Concepts of the Indian Arts. Motilal Banarsidass Publishe. ISBN 978-81-208-1547-6.
7. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2023-11-20). "Text 129 [Padarthadharmasamgraha]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
8. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2020-11-19). "Sūtra 5.1.7 (Falling how produced)". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
9. www.wisdomlib.org (2020-11-19). "Sūtra 5.1.18 (Falling of arrow, how caused)". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
10. www.wisdomlib.org (2022-12-16). "Different Types of Quality (Introduction)". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2025-01-03.

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