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Vol. XXXV, 2012
Concept of Anumana In Jainism
113
The determination of validity is in some cases achieved by cognition by itself. The cognition induced by a repeated course of experience or direct achievement of results, and that alone gives final satisfaction to the subject and a person does not feel an urge for further security of his cognition, is self-determined, intrinsic. This way sometimes there is Svatah Pramanyavāda. But in other occasion when the cognition had not yet been ascertained to stand in unfailing correspondence with the object, its validity is determined either by,
1. Subsequent confirmatory cognition of the same object, or 2. By a cognition of its pragmatic consequences, or 3. By the cognition of an object invariable concomitant with it.
This establishes the fact that validity is determined by other means, i.e. extrinsic.
Jayanta Bhatta (9th c. A.D.) presents the Jaina position at the beginning and then refutes by showing fault in it. Pramānyavāda - Validity of Knowledge
According to Jainism, the validity of knowledge can either be Swatah or it can be Paratah. “Tat pramāṇyam swataḥ paratshch.”
According to Naiyayikas there is a paratah-pramanya. Critique Vatsyayana says that, the validity of pramāna is based upon anumāna. Here, it is criticized that anumāna, which itself is a pramānā, how can it be the bases for another validity of other pramāņa ? Means, who give validity to it? If we say that another anumāna, then, there arises fallacy of infinite regress. Therefore, it is proper to say that sometimes there is self validity of pramāna and sometimes it is dependent on other means. i.e. sometines it is swatahpramānya and sometimes it is paratah-pramānya.
Hear question arises that when is the validity of pramāna swatah and when is it paratah? According to Jaina, in case the objects with which we are familiar, the validity of pramāņa rises of itself.
But when we see an object which we have not seen before, we may have a doubt at first and then with the help of inference we come to a definite judgment. This way when we come into contact with purely new object, then there the validity of pramāṇa will be paratah.
"Pramānyatu swataḥ siddhamabhyasat parotonyathā.” (Pramāņa pariksha)
