Vaishali Institute Research Bulletin 1

Author(s): Nathmal Tatia
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

Page 74

VERBAL TESTIMONY
63
the fact observed by means of a valid organ. The word 'uncontradicted' means not contradicted by the deliverance of another organ of valid cognition. "True meaning' stands for fact which is conducive to the well-being of men and also which is capable of being translated into action. The expression 'the meaning uncontradicted' is significant and serves to exclude the utterences of false teachers and also of ordinary imposters, because the meaning of their statements is contradicted by the deliverance of a valid cognitive organ. The clause 'apt to communicate true meaning' serves to exclude such a verbal proposition, which instruct the acquisition of the crest-jewel of Taksa ka, the king of divine serpents and most poisonous, as a remedy of tubercular fever. But this is humanly impossible to accomplish. So it cannot be true meaning. True meaning is as we have said what con duces to the wellbeing of man and capable of being accomplished. Apt to communicate etc.' implies exclusion of a false meaning understood by a person who is skilled in putting a wrong construction upon the sentence. The expression 'valid cognition’ refutes the misconception of invalidity of the meaning of verbal proposition. If a verbal proposition as such is condemned as an invalid organ, the syllogistic inference which consists of words and sentences is to be thrown overboard as useless lumber. The contention that though the verbal propositions are not instruments of valid cognition, the sentences employed in syllogistic argument indicate the triple probans and hence are credited with validity by transference of epithet, cannot be accepted as a convincing explanation. What is invalid per se cannot indicate a valid meaning. It has again been urged that if the sentences in syllogistic argument be regarded as capable of communicating the probans, they will depend on other valid propositions for vindication of their validity. If so the latter will suffice to make the probans known and the statement of probans in the syllogism will be redundant. But this contention of the Buddhist will involve him in absurdity as perceptual cognition which is indeterminate will lose its validity because it depends upon the conceptual judgement following upon it for demonstrating its object and so the latter will have to be accepted as valid perception. The probans stated by a verbal proposition to exist in the subject 'minor term is certainly confirmed by the evidence of another valid cognition, but that does not annul its cogency or validity.
Verbal testimony is of two kinds (i) profane, secular commonplace and pragmatic (laukika) and (ii) derived from śastra, sacred canon recognized by the school or sect in question. Now the author defines the kind of authentic knowledge which is derived from scriptura!