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 4 - Purvabhaga of Tarkabhasa: Contents
64 (of 73)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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151
The Mim膩峁僺aka accepts the theory of Svata岣r膩m膩峁噛av膩da. It may
be translated as the theory of the self-validity of knowledge or intrinsic
136 validity of knowledge. All apprehension is intrinsically valid. All
knowledge is valid by itself. It is not validated by any other knowledge. Its
validity arises from those vary causes from which knowledge itself arises.
Validity of knowledge is arises from the essential nature of the causes of
knowledge. It is not due to any extraneous conditions.Prabhakara and
Kum膩rila both uphold the intrinsic validity of knowledge. Prabhakara says:
'all cognitions as cognitions are valid; there invalidity is due to their
disagreement with the real nature of their objects.' Kumarila also says: 'the
validity of knowledge consists in its apprehending an object; it is set aside by
such inconsistencies as its disagreement with the real nature the object.' All
knowledge, therefore is presumably valid and our normal life runs smooth on
account of this belief. It can be explained by taking the following examples
when a rope is mistaken for a snake, the knowledge of the rope-snake is
invalidated by the subsequent knowledge of the rope. Similarly, if a person
suffering from jaundice sees a conch yellow, the knowledge of the yellow
conch is invalidated on account of the defect in the organ of vision,
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136.
tatra guru峁嚹乵 mate j帽膩nasya svaprak膩艣ar奴patv膩t tajj帽膩napr膩m膩峁噛a峁�
tenaiva grhyate. Bhatt膩n膩峁� mate j帽膩na峁� at墨ndriyam, j帽膩najanya
j帽膩tat膩 pratyak峁Ｄ�, tay膩 ca j帽膩na峁� anumiyate. Mur膩rimisr膩峁嚹佱箖 mate
anuvyavasayena j帽膩na峁� g峁沨yate. Sarve峁m api mate
tajj帽膩navi峁yakaj帽膩nena tajj帽膩napr膩m膩峁噛a峁� g峁沨yate. BP. pp. 523-
524.
