Philosophy of Charaka-samhita
by Asokan. G | 2008 | 88,742 words
Ayurveda, represented by Charaka and Sushruta, stands first among the sciences of Indian intellectual tradition. The Charaka-samhita, ascribed to the great celebrity Charaka, has got three strata. (1) The first stratum is the original work composed by Agnivesha, the foremost of the six disciples of Punarvasu Atreya. He accomplished the work by coll...
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Dialectical terms (22): Quibble (chala)
A quibble (chala) signifies a response in which the statement of the opponent is intentionally misinterpreted to defeat him. It is a speech consisting of mere words creating the sense that it is meaningful while it is actually fraught with irrelevant and improper meanings.[1]
It has got two divisions:
- verbal quibble (惫腻办肠肠丑补濒补),
- generalizing quibble (蝉腻尘腻苍测补肠肠丑补濒补).[2]
础办峁辫腻诲补, who recognises quibble as a category, defines it as an assail on one's speech by a deliberate misinterpretation of it,[3] and adds one more to the division called figurative quibble (耻辫补肠腻谤补肠肠丑补濒补). This is further attested by 痴腻迟蝉测腻测补苍补[4] and Udyotakara.[5]
Though Caraka classifies quibbles, he does not define each one of them. He only illustrates them. However, the examples given for the two types of quibbles agree with the definitions given for them by 础办峁辫腻诲补.
1. Verbal quibble (惫腻办肠肠丑补濒补).
A verbal quibble (惫腻办肠肠丑补濒补), according to 础办峁辫腻诲补, is the assuming of a meaning by the opponent other than that intended by the speaker since he has not specified his meaning.[6]
Example: The word navatantra has got two meanings: one who has learned his new books and one who has learned nine books. Thus, when a person says about his opponent: 鈥淭his is a navatantra鈥� with the intention that he has learned new books, the opponent takes the second meaning and replies, 鈥�1 haven't nine books; I have only one book鈥�. Then the former objects: 鈥淚 did not say, you have nine books; 1 say that you have newly learned the books (navabhyastatantra)鈥� and then the opponent retorts: 鈥淚 have read the book many times鈥�.[7] A similar example is cited by 痴腻迟蝉测腻测补苍补 also. The word 苍补惫补办补峁僢补濒补 has the meaning one who weares nine cloth and also one who wears new blanket. Thus,when one says 鈥�苍补惫补办补峁僢补濒辞'sya鈥� to mean the young boy bears new blanket, the opponent replies: 鈥淭his boy has only one blanket; where are the nine blankets?鈥� Here also the opponent misinterprets the word 苍补惫补办补峁僢补濒补 as intended by the speaker.[8]
2. Generalizing quibble (蝉腻尘腻苍测补肠肠丑补濒补):
A quibble in respect of generalities (蝉腻尘腻苍测补肠肠丑补濒补) is giving an absurd meaning which is rendered possible by generalising the terms where a particularised meaning is intended.[9] When a person says that medicine cures diseases the opponent takes the most general characteristic of the words and asks whether he intends to say that an existing entity cures another existing entity, and, if so, the disease bronchitis (办腻蝉补) being an existing entity must cure the disease consumption (办峁Ｄ乱补), for it is also an existing entity.[10] Here also the quibbler is fully aware of the intended meaning of the speaker. But he deliberately tries to find fault with the speaker.
痴腻迟蝉测腻测补苍补 also cites a similar example.[11]
3. Figurative quibble (耻辫补肠腻谤补肠肠丑补濒补):
础办峁辫腻诲补 adds one more division called figurative quibble (耻辫补肠腻谤补肠肠丑补濒补) as a third division. Accordingly, 耻辫补肠腻谤补肠肠丑补濒补 consists in discarding one's statement as senseless by taking its primary sense where the secondary sense is intended.[12] It is notable that 础办峁辫腻诲补 himself raises the objection that 惫腻办肠肠丑补濒补 is 耻辫补肠腻谤补肠肠丑补濒补 itself because alteration in meaning is a common feature in both the cases.[13] Further, he himself clears out the objection by pointing out that there exists specific differences between the two beyond their minor similarities.[14] Referring to this, Dasgupta suggests that the objection raised reveals his disagreement with the classification given in 颁补谤补办补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻.[15] However, 础办峁辫腻诲补 is found to be very weak to establish his argument. The hair splitting specific difference that he claims for them to have is not convincing.
Footnotes and references:
[2]:
Ibid.
[3]:
惫补肠补苍补惫颈驳丑腻迟辞'rthavikalpopaty膩 c肠丑补濒补峁�, Ny膩yas奴tra., I. ii. 10.
[4]:
痴腻迟蝉测腻测补苍补 on ibid., Ny膩ya-Bh膩峁a of 痴腻迟蝉测腻测补苍补., p. 71.
[5]:
[6]:
补惫颈艣别峁Ｄ乥丑颈丑颈迟别'arthe vakturabhipr膩y膩darth膩ntarakalpan膩 惫腻办肠肠丑补濒补峁�. Ny膩yas奴tra., 1. ii. 12.
[7]:
CS, Vim膩na - sth膩na, VIII. 56.
[8]:
痴腻迟蝉测腻测补苍补 on Ny膩yas奴tra., 1. ii. 12, Ny膩ya-Bh膩峁a of 痴腻迟蝉测腻测补苍补., p. 80.
[9]:
蝉补峁僢丑补惫补迟辞'谤迟丑补蝉测腻'pratis膩m膩nyayog膩dasa峁僢h奴tarthakalpan膩 蝉腻尘腻苍测补肠肠丑补濒补峁� Ny膩yas奴tra., I. ii. 13.
[10]:
CS, Vim膩na - sth膩na, VIII, 56.
[11]:
see 痴腻迟蝉测腻测补苍补 on Ny膩yas奴tra., I. ii. 13, Ny膩ya-Bh膩峁a of 痴腻迟蝉测腻测补苍补., p.52.
[12]:
dharmavikalpanirdese'rthasadbh膩vaprati峁dha 耻辫补肠腻谤补肠肠丑补濒补峁�. Ny膩yas奴tra., 1. ii. 14.
[13]:
惫腻办肠肠丑补濒补mevopac膩rac肠丑补濒补峁� tadavi艣e峁t, Ny膩yas奴tra., 1. ii. 15.
[14]:
Ny膩yas奴tra., I. ii. 16, 17; See also 痴腻迟蝉测腻测补苍补 on ibid., Ny膩ya-Bh膩峁a of 痴腻迟蝉测腻测补苍补., p. 85.
[15]:
HIPS, Vol. II. p.386.