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
50 (of 64)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
210
urged to act is purpose. It consists in gaining pleasure and avoiding pain, for
actions of all men in sound health are directed to the attainment of these two.
Example or d峁泂t膩nta : Gautama defines example in this way, it
is the thing about which an ordinary man and an expert entertain the same
opinion. 131 According to Kesava Misra, example is that thing about which
there is good agreement between the two parties in a debate. It is of two kinds,
the first is the example through similarity as the kitchen for the probans smoke
in an inference of fire. The second one is example through dissimilarity, as the
pond for the same probans.
Siddh膩nta or established conclusion: Siddhanta may vary
from system to system and from school to school within a system. One system
or school may accept or reject, fully or partly, the siddhanta of another.
According to Gautama 鈥榓 siddh膩nta is a dogma resting on the authority of a
132 certain school, hypothesis, or implication. According to Kesava Misra,
siddhanta is accepted as authoritative. It is of four kinds, (i) that which is
accepted by all Sastras; (ii) that which is accepted as proved in another Sastra;
(iii) that which follows as a corollary to an established conclusion; and (iv)
that which is acceptable as such only on the basis of another thesis.
Ascertainment or nir峁嘺ya : It is the removal of doubt and the
determination of a question, by hearing two opposite sides. Kesava Misra
133 131. Ibid.1.1.25.
132. Ibid.1.1.26.
133. Ibid.1.1.41.
