Comparative Study of Indian Science

Author(s): Harisatya Bhattacharya
Publisher: C S Mallinath

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similar to those in a Cow. (5)
Arthapatti'or Inference through the Method of Residue. It is given that Devadatta is a fat person; it is also given that he does not eat anything during the day: through Arthapatti, we conclude that he takes meals at night. (6) Abhava or Knowledge of non-existence. Direct perception gives us that there is a vacant piece of land before us; it is through Abhava-Pramana that we know that a pitcher does not exist before us. (7) 'Sambhava' or the Knowledge of parts from the knowledge of the whole and vice versa. The stock example is : Khari (a measure of higher s'andard) includes Drona (a measure of lower standard), (8) Aitihya' or Hearsay Knowledge. This gives us such informations as 'a Demon lives in a certain tree' etc. (9) 'Pratibha ' or Mysterious Apprehension. A certain poor man one morning suddenly feels that he would be a favourite of the Emperor that very day.
It appears that if the Charvakas excluded a good many sources of valid knowledge, these orthodox thinkers did unsystematically include within the category of the Pramanas psychoses which are not always the sources of valid knowledge. For, it is well known that we cannot in most cases safely rely on Aitihya' and 'Pratibha,' hearsay evidence and personal apprehensions. Where these are reliable, they are based on
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