Vyomashivacharya (950 CE) is one of the earliest authors of the Vaisheshika system of Hindu philosophy. He was one of the earliest and eminent commentators on Prasatapadabhashya, also known as Padarthadharmasangraha, which is a compendium based on the aphorisms (sutras) of Sage Kanada on the Vaisheshika system. Scholars differ in regard to the place of his origin. It is held that Vyomashivacharya was probably a Shaiva saint of the South, representing a distinct section of the Vaisheshika School.
A native of Kashmir, Vyomashivacharya was known as Shivacharya before he became a recluse, probably assuming the name of Vyomashiva afterwards. Whichever was his native place, he is well known for his work Vyomavati, which obviously has been named after him. This work also goes by the name of Padarthasangrahatika, which Sridhara, another author of the same school, uses.
Udayana (984 CE) refers to Vyomashiva as thikirt. Based on the fact that he has quoted from the works of Kumarila Bhatta (750 CE), Dharmakirti (635 CE) and Uddyotakara (635 CE), he is believed to have lived around 950 CE. The work Vyomavati has been edited once in the Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series.
Though there are several references in the work to Vyomashiva’s preceptor, indicating that he must have been a great exponent of the school, his name has not come down to us. Any reference to him by name was probably lost with the fragments missing from the introductory portions of the work. Following the principles laid down in the aphorisms of the system and the earlier commentators, Vyomashiva has advocated classification of all that there is into six categories, - dravya (substance), guna (quality), samanya (class concept), vishesha (particularity), samavaya (inherence) and is of the view that real knowledge of these, combined with an excellence of dharma, leads to nisreyasa (release).