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The Concept of Nirvikalpatā in Buddist Logic and the
Indian Tradition
Nirvikalpatā is a concept that is discussed in the context of pratyakşa-pramāņa (perception as a means of valid cognition) and samādhi (intense meditation). The Buddhist philosohers Dignāga (470-530 CE) and Dharmakīrti (620-690 CE) are the pioneer stalwarts who consider kalpanāpohatā or nirvikalpatā (absence of verbal designation) as an essential property of pratyakşa (perception). Philosophers of the Nyāya and Mīmāmsā schools also accept nirvikalpaka pratyakșa (perception without verbal designation) but they propound a kind of savikalpaka-pratyakşa (perception with verbal designation) also. It is noteworthy that these schools entered into the discussion about defining nirvikalpatā after Dignāga's time. Jaina philosophers do not accept nirvikalpatā in pratyakşa-pramāņa. They have the notion of darśana or darśanopayoga which is always nirākāra and nirvikalpaka, but it is not included in the category of pramāņa. This paper aims to discuss the concept of nirvikalpatā and its development in the Indian tradition with reference to specific texts in order to bring out the remarkable contribution of Buddhist philosophers to the panorama of Indian epistemology and logic. Jaina views will also be considered wherever appropriate.
