The nine substances

AnTs_10

Earth is that which possesses smell. It is two-fold: eternal and non-eternal. The eternal is in the form of paramāṇu (atoms); the non-eternal is in the form of products. Again it is three-fold, by the distinction of body, sense-organ, and object. The body is that of beings such as ourselves. The sense-organ is the organ of smell (ghrāṇa), which apprehends smell and resides at the tip of the nose. The objects are clay, stone, and the like.

AnTs_11

Water is that which possesses cool touch. It is two-fold: eternal and non-eternal. The eternal [ntyāḥ — read nityāḥ; sic in source] is in the form of atoms; the non-eternal is in the form of products. Again it is three-fold, by the distinction of body, sense-organ, and object. The body is in the world of Varuṇa. The sense-organ is the organ of taste (rasana), which apprehends taste and resides at the tip of the tongue. The objects are rivers, oceans, and the like.

AnTs_12

Fire is that which possesses hot touch. It is two-fold: eternal and non-eternal. The eternal [niyyaṃ — read nityam; sic in source] is in the form of atoms; the non-eternal is in the form of products. Again it is three-fold, by the distinction of body, sense-organ, and object. The body is in the world of the Sun. The sense-organ is the eye (cakṣus), which apprehends colour and resides at the tip of the black of the pupil. The objects are four-fold, by the distinction of terrestrial, celestial, digestive, and mineral. The terrestrial is fire and the like; the celestial, which is without fuel, is lightning and so forth; the digestive is the cause of the transformation of what has been eaten; the mineral is gold and the like.

AnTs_13

Air is that which possesses touch without colour. It is two-fold: eternal and non-eternal. The eternal is in the form of atoms; the non-eternal is in the form of products. Again it is three-fold, by the distinction of body, sense-organ, and object. The body is in the world of Air. The sense-organ is the organ of touch (tvac), which apprehends touch and pervades the whole body. The object is that which is the cause of the shaking of trees and the like. The air that moves within the body is the vital breath (prāṇa); and though it is one, by the distinction of limiting conditions it acquires the names prāṇa, apāna, and so on.

AnTs_14

Ether is that which has śabda (sound) as its quality. And it is one, all-pervading, and eternal.

AnTs_15

Time is the cause of usage such as 'past' and the like. And it is one, all-pervading, and eternal.

AnTs_16

Direction is the cause of usage such as 'east' and the like. And it is one, all-pervading, and eternal.

AnTs_17

The self is the substrate of cognition. It is two-fold: the supreme self (Paramātman) and the individual self (jīvātman). Among these, the Lord (Īśvara), the omniscient supreme self, is just one; the individual self is distinct in each body, all-pervading, and eternal.

AnTs_18

Mind is the sense-organ that is the instrument for the apprehension of pleasure and the like. And since it is fixed one to each self, it is infinite [in number], atomic in form, and eternal.