Mahavidya Vidambanam

Author(s): Bhatta Vadindra, Bhuvansundarsuri, Mangesh Ramkrishna Telang
Publisher: Central Library

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says that the incantation of a male deity is termed a Mantra and that of a female deity a Vidya. Thus according to Tantra Shástra, Vidyá means an incantation of a female deity. And Mahavidyá may therefore mean a great or important incantation in as much as it is able to grant all the gr: to its devotee.
But the word Mahavidyá as used in the works now published has quite a different meaning. Vádîndra, the author of Mahavidyâ-vidambana explains it as follows:
केवलान्वयिनि व्यापके प्रवर्तमानो हेतुः पक्षे व्यापकप्रतीत्यपर्यवसानबलादन्वयव्यतिरेकिसाध्यविशेषं वाद्यभिमतं साधयन्महाविद्येत्युच्यते । तस्य च महाविद्यात्वमसिद्धत्वादिसकलदोषविरहः । महाविद्याविडम्बन पृ. ३.
Thus, "a positive probans which being present in the subject proves the positive-negative probandum as desired by a disputant by force of the circumstance that the pervader (1) would not be established, is termed 'Mahá. vidya.' It is called Mahavidyá because it is free from all fallacies beginning with 'unproven probans' &c."
It is quite natural for any one to be curious to know how the word Mahavidya which originally meant a female deity or a great incantation according to the Tantra Shástra came to denote Kevalánvayi-hetu i. e. a purely positive probans in logic or Nyáya Shástra. This can be answered only on the assumption that Kulárka Pandita who is the reputed author of the acnāuzaŠīsies must have used the word Mahavidyá symbolically to denote the Kevalánvayi-hetu, as the number of the Mahavidyá syllogisms is Shodasha, that is, 16 which corresponds with Shodashi which is also one of the names of the female deity (of the Tántrikas) specially worshipped by him. Thus it appears that Kulárka Pandita being himself a great Tántrika may have specially made use of the numbers ten and sixteen symbolically in consideration of his great devotion and reverence for the female deity. As far as I know there is no other explanation forthcoming.
References to Mahavidyá in ancient Sanskrit Books-Now let us see what information we can collect about Mahávidyá and Kulárka Pandita from ancient Sanskrit works.
The Mahavidyá syllogisms have not been mentioned in the Vaiseshika sûtras of Kanada, its Bhashya of Prasastapáda and its commentary Nyáyakandalf of Sridharáchárya (A.D. 991). Similarly we do not find any trace of the Mahavidyá syllogisms in the Nyáyasutras of Gotama, its Bhashya of Vátsyáyana, its Vártika of Uddyotakara and its commentary Nyáyavártikatátparyatîka of Váchaspatimishra (Samvat 898, A. D. 842).
1 gèazar azanı: afèqzı famı zfa mafaquidquiąsta erur: faaafmurazeyeyeangaarzaवेति योतनाय मन्त्राणां मध्ये विधेत्युक्तम् । कलिता सहानाम १.९ ( निर्णयसागर
Aho! Shrutgyanam