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AN EPITOME OF JAINISM. requires on the bank of the river, he runs to the place and plucks fruits. Thus, Inferernce and Testimony along with others have all along been held to be valid sources of knowledge. But, curiously enough, the Charvakas question the validity of these. And so far we could gather from the fragments of this philosophy, scattered here and there in the different systems of thought and as collated by Madhavacharya in his Sarvadarshana Samgraha, he begins his enquiries into Epistemology with such startling questions as, what is the value of Inference ? How can ever its conclusions be certain ?
The most elementary form of conclusion must invariably have three terms-two extremes and a reason, mark or middle term (fa, fyf or artar). To give a conclusion, the
middle-term or mark (हेतु, लिङ्ग or साधना) must be universally and unconditionlly con. nected with the major-Sâdhya ( 2710, F167) on one side i.e., according to the phraseology of European logic must be distributed, and on the other side with the minor term. paksha (qa). But what evidence can we
Invalidity of I nference -Anuman.
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