We know that the Nyaya-Vais’e@sika regards the effect as nonexistent, before the operation of the cause in producing it, but it holds that the gu@nas in the cause are the causes of the gu@nas in the effect, e.g. the black colour of the clay is the cause of the black colour of the effect, except in cases where heat comes as an extraneous cause to generate other qualities; thus when a clay jug is burnt, on account of the heat we get red colour, though the colour of the original clay and the jug was black.  Another important exception is to be found in the case of the production of the parima@nas of dvya@nukas and trasare@nus which are not produced by the parima@nas of an a@nu or a dya@nuka, but by their number as we have already seen.

Dissolution (Pralaya) and Creation (S@r@s@ti).

The doctrine of pralaya is accepted by all the Hindu systems except the Mima@msa [Footnote ref 1].  According to the Nyaya-Vais’e@sika view Is’vara wishing to give some respite or rest to all living beings desires to bring about dissolution (sa@mhareccho bhavati).  Simultaneously with it the ad@r@s@ta force residing in all the souls and forming bodies, senses, and the gross elements, ceases to act (s’akti-pratibandha).  As a result of this no further bodies, senses, or other products come into being.  Then for the bringing about of the dissolution of all produced things (by the desire of Is’vara) the separation of the atoms commences and thus all combinations as bodies or senses are disintegrated; so all earth is reduced to the disintegrated atomic state, then all ap, then all tejas and then all vayu.  These disintegrated atoms and the souls associated with dharma, adharma and past impressions (sa@mskara) remain suspended in their own inanimate condition.  For we know that souls in their natural condition are lifeless and knowledgeless, non-intelligent entities.  It is only when these are connected with bodies that they possess knowledge through the activity of manas.  In the state of pralaya owing to the ad@r@s@ta of souls the

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[Footnote 1:  The doctrine of pralaya and s@r@s@ti is found only in later Nyaya-Vais’e@sika works, but the sutras of both the systems seem to be silent on the matter.]

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atoms do not conglomerate.  It is not an act of cruelty on the part of Is’vara that he brings about dissolution, for he does it to give some rest to the sufferings of the living beings.

At the time of creation, Is’vara wishes to create and this desire of Is’vara works in all the souls as ad@r@s@ta.  This one eternal desire of Is’vara under certain conditions of time (e.g. of pralaya) as accessory causes (sahakari) helps the disintegration of atoms and at other times (e.g. that of creation) the constructive process of integration and unification of atoms for the world-creation.  When it acts in a specific capacity in the diverse