Indian Logic Part 01

Author(s): Nagin J Shah
Publisher: Sanskrit Sanskriti Granthmala

Page 16

* INTRODUCTION
domestic ritual became a part of Purāņic ritual, in the form of ethics was replaced by Dharmaśāstras). Thus for all practical purposes tlfe medieval Purānist Brahmin would learn all his theological ritual from Purānas, his ethics from Dharmaśāstras. It was in this background that Nyaya and Mimāns were cultivated, the former with a view to developing proficiency in theological disputation, the latter with a view to acquiring something more than a nodding acquaintance with Vedas and Vedic ritual. Jayanta decides to make a partisan use of this over-all situation. So like a typical medieval Purāņist Brāhmin he begins by declaring ihat Vedas are the basic source of all knowledge-worth-having and then goes on to show as to how Purāṇas-and-Dharmaśāstras, Vedāngas, Nyaya-and-Mimāṁsā stood related to Vedas. Jayanta must have known that theology and ritual as propounded in Vedas were markedly different from the same as propounded in Puiānas and Dharmaśāstras. So he simply says that Vedas enjoin the performance of a ritual like agnihotra, the acquisition of knowledgeconcerning-Soul, Dharmaśāstra enjoins the performance of certain rituals of their own, while Purānas taking recourse to srory-telling etc. develop the Vedic thmes theemselves.' To this is added that 5 Vedāngas (the sixth is omitted) are ultimately of use in comprehending the meaning of Vedas.? Then comes the contention that Mimāṁsā is directly of use in comprehending the meaning of Vedas. Lastly, it is argued that Nyāya is the most fundamental of all vidyasthānas ipasmuch as it is aimed at vindicating the validity of Vedic testimony without which vindication none will care to study Vedas or 10 take recourse to the rest of vidyāsthānas. It is Jayanta's understanding that Nyāya is aimed at vindicating the validity of Vedic testimony that acts as a running thread throughout Nyāyamañjari in general and its pramāņa-part in particular
Jayanta has quoted two verses which catalogue the 14 vidyāsihanas, and he argues that his school is mentioned in one of these by the word 'tarka', in the other by the word 'nyāyavistara' because both these words mean inference while it is his school alone which develops a doctrine of inference. In this connection