Nyayavatara

Author(s): Satish Chandra Vidyabhushan
Publisher: ZZZ Unknown

Page 24

16
NYAYAVATARA.
union, and might mistake a lake for such an abode. In such a case, the whole argument will be misunderstood.
धानुष्कगुणसंप्रेक्षि जनस्य परिविध्यतः । धानुष्कस्य विना लक्ष्यनिर्देशेन गुणेतरी ॥१६॥
16. A man who has come to behold the excellence of an archer will have to beliold the opposite of it, if the archer hits without fixing an aim.
Just as a clever archer, with a view to preventing his arrow from going to a wrong direction, fixes his aim before hitting, so a skilful disputant, in order to avoid being misunderstood, should, in stating an inference, mention the minor teru (paksa) with which the major term (slidhya) and the iniddle term (hetui) are both connected.
हेतोस्तथोपपत्ता वा स्यात् प्रयोगोऽन्यथापि वा । द्विधान्यतरेणापि साध्यसिद्धिर्भवेदिति ॥ १७॥
17. The reason (or the middle term, i.e., hetu! may be used to show connection or the opposite of it; in either of these two ways, the sâdhya (that which is to be proved) can be proved.
The reason or middle term (hetu) can be used in two ways as follows: (1) the reason or middle term (hetu) may exist only if the major term (sádhya) existed, such as in the proposition “here there is fire, because there is smoke," the smoke (middle term) may exist only if there is fire (major term); and (2) the reason or middle term (hetre) cannot exist if the major term (sådhya) does not exist, such as in the proposition “here there is fire, because otherwise there could not be any smoke,” the smoke (middle term) could not have existed if there had been no fire (major term).