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CHAPTER I
81
of existence or non-existence is preceded by our such belief. So these are cases of vikalpa-siddhi of the dharmi.
Refutation of a non-existent thing by argument does not therefore lead to its existence by Sapta-bhangi.
विधेयप्रतिषेध्यात्मा विशेष्यः शब्दगोचरः। HTTTT ngregat ||1911 vidheyapratişedhyātmā višeşyaḥ śabda-gocharaḥ, sādhya-dharmo yathā hetur-ahetuschāpyapekṣayā.
19. The minor term is understood by sound, as it comprises the major term and its opposite. (This is) as, according to the desire of a speaker, the relationship of the major term is or is not with the middle term.
COMMENTARY In the example of inference “the mountain has fire as it has smoke”, the mountain is the paksa (minor term), fire is the sādhya (major term) and smoke is hetu, linga or sādhana (middle term).
Now the word vidheya in the verse may be taken to mean astitva (existence). Its pratiședhi (opposite) will be năstitva (non-existence). A substance which has these qualities, viz., jīva etc. might be considered as a paksa (minor term) in a syllogism. The qualities of sādhya would be its manifestation etc. These qualities are considered hetu (middle term) when we desire to establish their non-eternal aspect and ahetu (not the middle term) when we consider their eternal aspect. The example will be "Where the substance exists. the
exists, the qualities
1. "विकल्पसिद्धो यथा, सर्वज्ञः अस्ति सुनिश्चितासंभवबाधकप्रमाणत्वाद् इत्यस्तित्वे साध्ये
सर्वज्ञः। अथवा खरविषाणं नास्तीति नास्तित्वे साध्ये खरविषाणम्। सर्वज्ञो ह्यस्तित्वसिद्धेः प्राङ् न प्रत्यक्षादिप्रमाणसिद्धः । अपि तु प्रतीतिमात्रसिद्ध इति विकल्पसिद्धोऽयं धर्मी। तथा खरविषाणमपि नास्तित्वसिद्धेः प्राग विकल्पसिद्धम् ।” "विकल्पसिद्धे तु धर्मिणि सत्तासत्तयोरेव HTETAR F14:!” Nyaya-dipikā.
