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340 The Philosophy of Vallabha
[CH. The distinction between right knowledge and error consists in the fact that the latter contains somewhat more than the former; thus, in the case of conch-shell-silver, right knowledge consists in the perception of conch-shell, but false knowledge consists in the further attribution of silver to it; this additional element constitutes error!. There may be cases which are partly correct and partly false and in these knowledge may be called right or false according as there is or is not a preponderance of right knowledge. Upon this criterion of Purusottama painting, art creations and impersonations in dramatic perceptions have a preponderance of right knowledge, as they produce through imitation such pleasures as would have been produced by the actual objects which they have imitated.
Purusottama makes a distinction between karaņa (the instrumental) and kārana (the cause). Karana is a unique agent, associated with a dynamic agent with reference to the effects that are to be produced (vyāpāravad asādhāranam); kārana is that seat of power which may produce appearance and disappearance of forms (āvirbhāva-saktyādhāratvam kāraṇatvam). That which produces particular forms, or works for the disappearance of certain forms, is regarded as corresponding causes; hence the power which can make the effects of a material cause manifest for our operation is regarded as the āvirbhāva-kārana of that effect. Avirbhāva, “manifestation of appearances," is that aspect of things by which or in terms of which they may be experienced or may be operated upon, and its negation is "disappearance" (tirobhāra). These powers of manifestation and disappearance belong primarily to God, and secondarily to objects with which He has associated them in specific ways. The Naiyāyika definition of cause as invariable unconditional antecedent of the effect is regarded as invalid, inasmuch as it involves a mutual dependence. Invariable antecedence to an effect involves the notion of causality and the notion of causality involves invariable antecedence; so unconditionality involves the notion of causality and causality involves unconditionality.
Cause is of two kinds: identity (tādātmya, also called samavāyi), and instrument. This identity however involves the notion of
I bhrama-prama-samūhālambanam tu, eka-deśa-vikrtam ananyavad bhavatiti nyāyena bhramādhikye viparjāsa eva. pramadhikye ca niscayaḥ. Prasthānaratnākara, pp. 25-6.
? upādānasya kāryam yā ryavahāra-gocaram karoti sā saktir āvirbhāvikā. ävirbhāvasca vyavahāra-yogyatram. tirobhāvasca tadayogyatvam. Ibid. p. 26.
