Book Title: Nyaya Theory of Knowledge
Author(s): S C Chateerjee
Publisher: University of Calcutta

Previous | Next

Page 241
________________ 222 NYAYA THEORY OF KNOWLEDGE of this or that particular kind. On the other hand, the perception of the same object, in the case of an adult who knows cows as a class, will be savikalpaka in so far as the object is here further determined and definitely known as belonging to the class of cows. Savihalpaka and nirvikalpaka perceptions are thus cognitions, not of the characterised and uncharacterised, but of the more or less definitely characterised object. The Cārvākas, the Sābolikas and the Jainas go further than Rāmānuja and hold that nirvikalpaka perception is not real in any sense. According to the Jainas, all true knowledge must be a definite and an assured cognition of objects (vyavasāyātmakam jñānam). What distinguishes true knowledge from doubt, error and the rest is the fact that it is a firm belief which is also true. It is a definite judginent of au oluject as this and not as ibat. In it there is a definite affirmation or denial that an object is or is not such-andsuch. In the so-called nirvikalpaka perception, however, there is no such definite assertion of anything about any object Hence it cannot be recognised as a form of valid knowledge. Furtber, all knowledge being implicit in and manifested by the self, perception is only conditioned and not produced by the function of the senses Every perception, just when it occurs, will be a complete manifestation of the object. In perception there need not be a transition from an initial stage of vague and unorganised sense-impressions to that of distinct and determinate knowledge. All true perceptions are, therefore, determinate (savikalpaka) cognitions of objects as they really are in themselves.* The same conclusion has been reached by the Sābdikas or grammarian philosophers on the ground of the intimate i Pratyakfasya Dirvikalpakagavikalpakabhedsbbonusya da dirviseşavastupi pram pabbi vab, etc., Sribhäsyo, 1.11 Vide Prameyakamalamartanda, 1. 3 Tapniscayatmakar samáropa viruddbatvadanumanavat, ibid, 8. 4 Ibid., p. 8.

Loading...

Page Navigation
1 ... 239 240 241 242 243 244 245 246 247 248 249 250 251 252 253 254 255 256 257 258 259 260 261 262 263 264 265 266 267 268 269 270 271 272 273 274 275 276 277 278 279 280 281 282 283 284 285 286 287 288 289 290 291 292 293 294 295 296 297 298 299 300 301 302 303 304 305 306 307 308 309 310 311 312 313 314 315 316 317 318 319 320 321 322 323 324 325 326 327 328 329 330 331 332 333 334 335 336 337 338 339 340 341 342 343 344 345 346 347 348 349 350 351 352 353 354 355 356 357 358 359 360 361 362 363 364 365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389 390 391 392 393 394 395 396 397 398 399 400 401 402 403 404 405 406 407 408 409 410 411 412 413 414 415 416 417 418 419 420 421 422 423 424 425 426 427 428 429 430 431 432 433 434 435 436 437 438 439 440