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TATPŪRVAKAM' IN “TATPŪRVAKAM TRIVIDHAM ANUMĀNAM”' (NS.1.1.5) IN BHĀSARVAJNA'S VIEW
Laxmesh V. Joshi
Having treated of perception in the first pariccheda of the Njayasāra, Bbāgarvajña takes up inference for discussion in the second pariccheda. Before he explaing in the Nyayabbūşaņa (his own commentary on the Nyāyasāra) the definition of inference given by him in the Nyāyasāra, 2 Bbāsarvajña discusses at length the Nyāya:ūtra (1.1.5) which defires infer. ence. It would be very interesting to observe how the Bhūṣaṇakāra, a revolutionary Nāiyāyika of the tenth certury (A. D.), agrees or disagrees with the traditional interpretations and how he himself interprets the relevant Nyāyasūtra particularly the term 'tat-pūrvakam'.
At the outset of the second pariccheda, Bhāsai vajña 'star's discussing inference by quting the Nyāyasūdra3 which defines inference : loference is knowledge which is preceded by perception, and is of three kinds, viz. a priori, a posteriori and 'coinmonly seen.4 Commercing the discussion on this sūtra, Bhāsat vajña quotes an interpretation of the relevant Nyāyasūtra as offered by so ne predecessors. 5 According to this interpretation, only the compound word 'lat-pūrvakam' is meant for definition of inference, and the rest of the sūtra is for its classification.
As the author of the Nyāvabhūşaņa did not specifically mention the name of the exponent of this interpretation, we attempt to trace the predecessors implied by the word 'eke' in the Nyāyabhūşıņa.
First of all, this interpretation seems to have been implied in the Njayabhāşya of Vātsyāyana, according to whicb, the word 'tat' in the compound 'rat-pūrvakam' refers to the two perceptions; the first of the relation between probans and probandum, and the second one of the probans itself. Besides, the fir:t perception also signifies the remembrance of the relation between probans and probandum. Thus by means of remembrance of the said relation and through perception of the probans the upperceived thing is inferred. For example, on seeing the smoke, we remember the relation that we had perceived, and this leads us to the inference of fire.7 Here we find that Vats, āyana has described the whole process of inference, whilo explaining the word 'tat pūrvakam' in the sūtra.
Again, while defending the use of the word "trividham'8 in the sūtra, Vatsyayana says that though the word 'trividham' seems to be redundant,
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