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
3 (of 64)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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163
universal, immanent as well as transcendent. The whole universe lives and
moves and breathes in it. It is immortal, self-luminous, self-proved and beyond
doubts and denials, as the very principle which makes all doubts, denials and
thoughts possible. It is the ultimate subject which can never become an object
and which is to be necessarily presupposed by all knowledge.
In the Katha, the 膩tman is said to be the ultimate reality. The objects
are the roads, the body is the chariot, the senses are the horses, the mind is the
reins, the intellect is the charioteer, the ego is the enjoyer and the 膩tman is the
Lord sitting in the chariot. The Katha further states that the senses are
higher than the objects, the mind is higher than the senses, the intellect is
higher than the mind, the subtle reason (mahat) is higher than the intellect, the
Unmanifest (avyakta) is higher than the subtle reason, and the Purusa (atman)
is higher than the Unmanifest, and there is nothing higher than the Purusa
which is the ultimate end, the highest reality.
In the BG also it is described as permanent, eternal, indestructible
substratum and is never destroyed even the body is destroyed. The BG makes
7 discrimination between k峁tra (body) and k峁traj帽a (soul) which is Prak峁泃i
and Puru峁 respectively. Prak峁泃i is the object of knowledge and Puru峁 is
the knower.
5. 膩tm膩n膩峁� rathina峁� viddhi sariram rathameva tu /
buddhim tu s膩rathi峁� viddhi mana岣� pragrahameva ca // Katha.1.3 .3.
6. indriyebhya岣� para峁� mano manasa岣� sattvamuttama峁�/
sattv膩dadhi mah膩n膩tm膩 mahato鈥檝yaktamuttma峁�// Ibid. 2.3.7.
7. na j膩yate mriyate v膩 kad膩cit n膩ya峁� bhutv膩 bhavit膩 v膩 na bh奴ya岣�/
ajo nityah sasvato 'ya峁� purano na hanyate hanya m膩ne sarire// BG. 2/20.
