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Darsana
433
is generally held that darśana is the first apprehension, occurring after the contiguity of subject with the object. But, it is incopsistent with the conception of vyañjanāvagraha. VyañjaDāvagraha is generally defined as the contact between senses and the object. It is the physical grasping of an object. It is included in the process of knowledge simply because it is cause of the latter. No knowledge of any sort, whether general or particular is possible before it. The limitation of vyañjanā. vagraha to the four senses, which cognize the object after real contact, has no significance if it is not the first stage or is preceded by some other apprehension. Vyañjanāvagraha is followed by arthāvagraha. Thus, there is no place for darśana.
While defining avagraha, some scholars have specified that after contiguity there is darśana and then avagraha. But, this order also goes against the notion of vyañjapāvagraha. In other definitions the avagraha is stated as the first apprehension of generality after the contiguity. If this view is accepted, darśana would mean a stage before contiguity.
Yasovijayasuggests a solution for this difficulty. He states that darśana is nothing but naiscayikāvagraha. It should be recalled here that vyañjapāvagraha is mere contiguity of senses and the object. The subsequent stage is artbāvagraha. It has two considerations. When considered precisely it is the first general apprehension occurring after contiguity. It is known as naiscayikāvagraha. Roughly considered avagraba is a relative term. Generality, in this case, means a comparative generality. The apprehension, "He is a man" is a cognition of particularity as it specifies the class of man etc. In true aspect such cogoitions are avāya. But, when the cognizer goes further and tries to know whether the person under consideration is an English or German, the former cognition becomes ava1. Sarvārthasiddhi 2. Laghsyastraya p. 2, śloka 5. 3. Jñānabindu
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