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Laxmesh V. Joshi
he says that our guru holds that only the compound tat-pūrvakam' cɔnstitutes the definition of inference.16
Thus we come to the conclusion that those to whom Bhásarvajña refers by the word 'eke' are most probably Jayaota Bhatta17 and his preceptor in particular and Vätsyāyaoa and Uddyotakara in general,
Is may be noted here that after the mention of the interpretation, we find in the printed text of the Nyāyabhūşıņa the reading : tad-apav;ā. khyānam, viz the interpretation given by 'eke' (some) is not a proper explanation; whereas the phot)stat of the Nyāyabhūşaņa reads : 121mati-vyakhyānam which means : the explanation according to the view of those (-eke-sore predecessors) now follows. We prefer here the photcstat reading to that of the printed text of the Nyāyabhūşaņa.18 Since what bereafter follows in the Nyāyabhüşaņa seems to be the detailed presentation of the interpretation of the term "lat-pūrvakam' given by sone. It is found in the Nyāyabbāsya, the Nyāyavārttika and especially in the Nya yamañjari. Moreover, th's presentation is to be understood as a primafacie view in the Nyayabhūsaņa, which is later refuted and rejected by Bbāsarvajna. 19
N), aziast thi's prima-facle view in th: N, āyabhūşanı, one may contend that if only perception is taken to be referred to by the word 'tat' in the compound 'tat-pūrvakam'; then there would arise the faults of over-extension and under-extension of the definition of inference. This definition (tat-pūrvakam anumānam) would be over-extensive, because it would be applicable to mental impression (samskära) and doubt etc also, inasmuch as they are also preceded by perception. On the other hand, this definition would fall short of its aim, as it would not encompass the inferences, the lingas of which are known through the means of interence or agama (viz. inferences pieceded by another inference or āgama20)
In answer to this, the exponent of the prima-facie view says in the Nyayabh şaņa that in order to avoid the fault of under-extension of the definition, the word 'tat' in 'tat-pūrvakam' is taken to stand for any one of the four means of valid cognition, perception etc. which are enumerated in the preceding Nyāyasūtra (1.1.3)21. Then the definition would cover all inferences, the lingas of which are known through any means of valid cognition 22
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