उभयथापि न कर्मातस्तदभावः ॥ १२ ॥
ubhayathāpi na karmātastadabhāvaḥ || 12 ||
ubhayathāpi—In either case; na—is not; karma—activity; ataḥ—therefore; tat-abhāvaḥ—negation of that.
12. In either case (viz. the Adrishta, the unseen principle, inhering either in the atoms or in the soul) the activity (of the atoms) is not (possible); therefore the negation of that (viz. of creation through the combination of atoms).
If the world is created by the combination of atoms, the question is, what causes this combination? If it is a seen cause, it is not possible before the creation of the body. A seen cause can either be an endeavour, or an impact, or the like. Unless there is the connection of the soul with the mind, there can be no endeavour on the part of the soul, according to the Vaiseshika assumption. And since before creation there is no body and therefore no mind, endeavour cannot take place. Similarly with impact etc. If the cause is Adrishta (the unseen principle), does it inhere in the soul or in the atoms? In either case, it cannot be the cause of the first motion of the atoms; for this Adrishta is non-inteliigent and so cannot act by itself. If it is inherent in the soul, the soul being then inert, there is no intelligence to guide this Adrishta. If it is inherent in the atoms, it being always present, a state of dissolution would be impossible, for the atoms will be always active. Again, the soul is without parts like the atoms, and so there is no possibility of any connection between the soul and the atoms. Consequently, if the Adrishta inheres in the soul, it cannot influence the motion of the atoms not connected with the soul(?). So in all cases original activity in the atoms is not possible, and in the absence of that there can be no combination of atoms, as the Vaiseshikas say. Consequently, the theory that the world is created by the combination of atoms is untenable.