Comparative Study of Indian Science

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

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From the above, it should not be inferred, however, that the Jaina psychologists are all sensationists like Hume who would see in all psychoses nothing but sensations and sensuous percepts. It will be shown hereafter how the Jainas recognise in Ideational consciousness, a peculiar element or ingredient which distinguishes it from all sensuous processes.
Pramana, according to the Jainas, is either Pratyaksha or Paroksha. Let us study the nature of the Pratyaksha in the next section.
3. Pratyaksha Pramana.
Pratyaksha Pramana is what we understand by Perception or Perceptual cognition, although we shall see that the Indian thinkers include within the category of Pratyaksha some supersensuous psychoses which modern psychology would not bring under Perception. Gautama defines Pratyaksha as ..certain knowledge arising from the fact of proximity of the senses to their objects." In 87, Vishayadhyaya of the Sankhya-Sutra, Kapila describes it as "knowledge consisting in an exact idea of a thing to which the human sense-organ is applied." As to the genesis of Pratyaksha, Bhoja also says that it arises when the mind comes in contact with an external object through
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