Inherence, or samavaya, is part of Vaisheshika philosophy in Hindu religion. Kanada attests inherence in the case of causes and effect, but in a vague manner. It is Prasatapada who defines it as a relation among things that are inseparable (ayutasiddha), and bearing to one another the relation of the container and the contained in the form of ‘this is in that’. Things bearing the relation of inherence are these – a whole inheres in its part, a quality inheres in its substance, an activity inheres in its substance, a generality inheres in the individual members of the same class, vishesha (particulars) inhere in the simple eternal substances.
The inherence is distinguished from the conjunction. Conjunction is a quality, while inherence is a category. The conjunction takes place in things which can exist separately. It is produced by activity only. It is therefore temporary, non-eternal. Two things in the relation of inherence cannot be separated unless at least one of them is destroyed.