Essay name: Tarkabhasa of Kesava Misra (study)
Author:
Nimisha Sarma
Affiliation: Gauhati University / Department of Sanskrit
This is an English study of the Tarkabhasa of Kesava Misra: a significant work of the syncretic Nyaya-Vaisesika school of Indian philosophy widely used as a beginner's textbook in southern India and has many commentaries. This study includes an extensive overview of the Nyaya and Vaisesika philosophy, epistemology and sources of valid knowledge. It further deals with the contents and commentaries of the Tarkabhasa.
Chapter 5 - Uttarabhaga of Tarkabhasa: Contents
17 (of 64)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
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177
Kesava Misra's View
43 According to Kesava Misra the self is that which possesses the
universal selfhood. It is distinct from the body, sense-organs and mind; * and
also different in each body, eternal and omnipresent. Cinnambha峁弓a says that
body can not be the self as it is changeable. Different stages, like childhood,
boyhood, old age etc. occur in our life time. 44 Sense-organs can not be the self
also as it is perishable. Mind is always related to sense-organs and that is why
mind can not be the self.45 Through the internal sense mind, the knowledge of
self arises. If there is any confusion about the existence of a separate soul, an
inference may be restored to, where the existence of the soul can be proved by
the hetu that there is no other fit substratum for intellect and other qualities.
Knowledge etc. are the qualities and qualities must subsist in some substance.
Here, knowledge etc. are not the qualities of the five elements, earth, water
etc. as these qualities (subsisting in the soul) are perceived by the mind. Those
qualities that subsists in the five elements are not perceived by the mind like
colour smell etc. They are also not qualities subsisting in space, time and mind
43.
44.
45.
atmatvas膩m膩nyav膩n膩tm膩/ s膩 ca dehendriy膩divyatirikta岣�/ TB. p.166.
bhinnaparim膩峁嚹乨hikara峁嘺tvena balyakaum膩r膩disarirabhedasya
prasiddhatv膩t. TBP. p. 198.
cak峁r膩divyatirikta峁� k膩ra峁嚹乶taramapek峁a rup膩din s膩k峁Ｄ乼-
k膩rotyanapek峁a v膩鈥�.. ....tasm膩nna manasa 膩tmatva峁�. Ibid. p.199.
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