Book Title: Indian Logic Part 02
Author(s): Nagin J Shah
Publisher: Sanskrit Sanskriti Granthmala

Previous | Next

Page 108
________________ ANALOGY 97 23 case of time). Why then do you say that space is one (and that time is one) ?" Jayanta replies: "Space is one because the mode of distinguishing spatial features is invariably one (just as time is one because the mode of distinguishing temporal features is invariably one). Again, space is one because what is east in relation to one thing is west in relation to another (just as time is one because what is prior in relation to one act is posterior in relation to another). Again, Jayanta's own argumentation implies that space cannot be an independent substance (just as time cannot be one). For what he means is that a universally valid definition can be formulated in terms of which two things can be said to be lying east, etc, in relation to each other just as a universally valid definition can be formulated in terms of which two acts can be said to be occurring simultaneously, etc. in relation to each other; but certainly the former circumstance does not imply that space is an independent substance and the latter that time. is an independent substance. Here closes Jayanta's account of inference (while certain topics related to it remain to be discussed in connection with certain other Nyaya padarthas). SECTION THREE: ANALOGY The third pramāṇa enumerated by the Nyaya authors after perception and inference is upamana roughly translateable as analogy, roughly because the concept is rather technical. The Nyāyasūtra definition of this pramāņa runs as follows: On the basis of a known similarity, to bring about what has to be brought about that is called upamana. The words of this definition as it stands are rather obscure, so what is to be understood is its traditionally given interpretation. Two alternative such interpretations are reported by Jayanta, one attributed to the old Naiyayikas, the other to the 'moderns'. Both, of course, agree that a case of upamāna arises when an expert tells a novice that such and such an unfamiliar thing is similar to such and such a familiar thing and the latter later on coming across this unfamiliar thing recognizes it as similar to that familiar thing and says to himself "So this thing is what the word concerned stands for." On the old Naiyayika's showing pramaņa-ship here belongs to the expert's

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117 118 119 120 121 122 123 124 125 126 127 128 129 130 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144 145 146 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 157 158 159 160 161 162 163 164 165 166 167 168 169 170 171 172 173 174 175 176 177 178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196 197 198 199 200 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209 210 211 212 213 214 215 216 217 218 219 220 221 222 223 224 225 226 227 228 229 230 231 232 233 234 235 236