नित्यमेव च भावात् ॥ १४ ॥
nityameva ca bhāvāt || 14 ||
nityam-eva—Permanently; ca—and; bhāvāt—because existing.
14. And because of the permanent existence (of the tendency to act or otherwise of the atoms, the atomic theory is inadmissible).
The atomic theory involves another difficulty. If the atoms are by nature active, then creation would be permanent, for dissolution would mean a change in the nature of the atoms, which is impossible. If on the other hand, they are by nature inactive, then dissolution would be permanent, and there will be no creation for the same reason. Their nature cannot be both activity and inactivity, they being contradictory. If they are neither, their activity and inactivity would depend on an efficient cause, like Adrishta, which being always connected with the atoms, they will always be active, and creation would be permanent. If on the other hand, there is no efficient cause, there will be no activity of the atoms and hence no creation. Consequently the atomic theory is again inadmissible.