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Is Anadhyavasāya a Distinct Type of Non-veridical Cognition (Avidyā)? Analysis of the Vaiśeṣika View

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Abstract

The Vaiśeṣika school is an important ancient system of Indian philosophy. According to the Vaiśeṣika philosophers, cognition or jñāna is of two types—vidyā and avidyā (vidyā ca avidyā ca), and avidyā is of four types—saṃśaya (doubt), viparyaya (illusion), anadhyavasāya (non-ascertainment) and svapna (dream). Among these four kinds of avidyā, the third kind of non-veridical cognition (avidyā), named ‘anadhyavasāya’ (non-ascertainment/non-assertory cognition), is acknowledged alone by the Vaiśeṣika school. Apart from the Vaiśeṣika school, no other school of Indian philosophy admits such a type of non-veridical cognition. Such a sort of non-veridical cognition is not mentioned even in the Vaiśeṣikasūtra of Kaṇāda. However, Praśastapāda discusses it in his Padārthadharmasaṃgraha, after mentioning it as a variety of non-veridical cognition. He has been followed in this respect by the commentators of Padārthadharmasaṃgraha in their respective commentaries. Following them, in this paper I am going to establish anadhyavasāya as a distinct type of non-veridical cognition.

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Notes

  1. Prakaraṇapañcikā, p. 35.

  2. nanu tarhi jñānamātrajanakaśabdo na niścayajanakaḥ, na ca jñānamātrameva niścaya-śabdenocyate. yato niścayābhāve’pi saṃśayohānadhyavasāyātmakaṃ vijñānaṃ dṛṣṭam. tenānvayāniścaye’pyanvayajñānajanakaśabda ityāśaṃkyāha—tatra niścayaśabdeneti. Jñānamaniścayātmakamiti viruddhaṃ, avabhāsamānasya niścitaviṣayaikāntavyavahārapravartakaṃ jñānaṃ niścayaśabdenocyate, tataścānvayāniścaye’nvayajñānameva nāsti. ūhastu smṛtiviśeṣa ityakhyātau pratipādayiṣyate. anadhyavasāyastu na jñānaṃ, kintu jijñāseti tatraiva pratipādayiṣyate.Nyāyasiddyakhyā on Prakaraṇapañcikā, p. 35.

  3. tatra niścayasaṃśayabhinne tādṛśajñāne kiṃ mānam?…na tāvajjijñāsā nirṇayajanyā, anucchedyāpatteḥ. nāpi saṃśayajanyā, viśiṣṭakoṭidvayānullekhe tadabhāvāt. tataḥ saṃśayabhinnaṃ jijñāsājanakaṃ jñānameṣitavyaṃ, tadevānadhyavasāyaḥ.Kiraṇāvalīprakaśa, Asiatic Society edn., p. 524.

  4. sāmānyato’vagate viśeṣato’jñāte jijñāsite vācyaviśeṣe yadā kiṃśabdābhilāpaḥ, tadānadhya-vasāyaḥ.Nyāyalīlāvatī, pp. 452–453.

  5. sthulakālopādhimādāya anadhyavasāyasya jijñāsāpūrvakālīnatvena utpattiyaugopadyā bhāvāt.Nyāyalīlāvatīkaṇṭhābharaṇa, p. 453.

  6. jijñāsāpūrvakāle viruddhanānā’nanubhāvakatvāt anubhūyamānaṃ tajjñānaṃ viśeṣato’-nullikhitanānākoṭikatvānna saṃśayaḥ, kiṃsvididamityākāramātrasyaiva jñānasya tadā’nubhavāt, sa cānadhyavasāya eveti bhāvaḥ. Ibid.

  7. Vyomavatī, Vol-II, p. 132.

  8. vidyā tvayaṃ na bhavati, vyavahārānaṅgatvāditi.Nyāyakandalī, Sampurnananda Sanskrit Universitedn., p. 437.

  9. avidyātvaṃ tu viśeṣavyavahāraparipanthitvāditi ramyam.Nyāyalīlāvatī, p. 453.

  10. anadhyavasāyo’pi samuccitāśeṣaviśeṣaviṣayo vā vācyo, vyāptibodhavat, aniścitaikaviṣayo vā, asamuccitanānāviṣayo vā.Nyāyalīlāvatī, pp. 451–452.

  11. ayaṃ dharmī militasarvavācakavācya iti viṣaya ityarthaḥ.Nyāyalīlāvatīprakaśa, p. 451.

  12. (a) dhūmo vahniniyata itivat panase sarvavācakādhyavasāyāpatteḥ.Nyāyalīlāvatī, p. 452. (b) vahṇivyāpyo’yaṃ dhūma iti vyāptigrahavat sarvavācakavācyo’yamiti tadākāraḥ syāt, sa cānupalambhabādhita ityarthaḥ.Nyāyalīlāvatīkaṇṭhābharaṇa, p. 452.

  13. yathā vyāptigrāhake jñāne dhūmatvavahṇitvākrāntāḥ sarvavyaktayaḥ sphuranti, tathā ‘kiṃ śabdavācyo’yaṃ vṛkṣa’ ityatra jñāne sarvavācakasphuraṇe ‘sarvavācakaśabdavācyo’yaṃ vṛkṣa’ iti pratyayaḥ syādityarthaḥ.Nyāyalīlāvatīprakāśa, p. 452.

  14. avidyātvavyākopāt. ekaṃ vācakamivāvācakamapi spṛśatīti saṃvidavidyeti cet, na, saṃśayatāpatteḥ.Nyāyalīlāvatī, p. 452.

  15. kiṭcittvenā’’tma(?omrao)kovidārādikamapi vikalpaviṣayastathā cāvidyātvamityāha—ekamiti. Nyāyalīlāvatīkaṇṭhābharaṇa, p. 452.

  16. Nyāyalīlāvatī, p. 452.

  17. anavadhāraṇatvāviśeṣādūhānadhyavasāyayorna saṃśayādarthāntarabhāvaḥ.Nyāyasāra, p. 19.

  18. ‘kiṃsaṃjñako’yaṃ vṛkṣaḥ’ ityanadhyavasāyaḥ saṃśāyanna bhidyate. ‘vṛkṣasaṃjñāviṣayo hi yo’rthaḥ so’parasaṃjñāviṣayo’pi dṛṣṭo yathā’mrādi’rityevaṃ sāmānyena viśeṣasaṃjñāmanumāya tadbhedamāmrādivadanusmaran sandihyate—‘kiṃsaṃjñako’yaṃ vṛkṣaḥ?’ iti. saṃjñābhedasya hi prasiddhasyāprasiddhasya ca bahutvena sthāṇvādisaṃśayavadviśeṣasaṃjñollekhī notpadyate, yathā ‘tvadīyaikā gauḥ prasūte’tyukte prasiddhagoviśeṣasaṃjñasyāpi gosahasrapateḥ ‘katamā gauḥ prasūtā’ ityevamākāra eva saṃśayo bhavati, na ‘bhadrā nande’ti viśeṣavikalpī. etena vyāsaṅgādanarthitvācca iṣukārādīnāmanadhyavasāyaḥ saṃśayāntarbhāvito draṣṭavyaḥ. sthāṇvādisandehe’pi hi ‘na jānimaḥ kimidam’—ityullekho bhavatyevāntarāle, naitāvatā’rthāntaratvaṃ, savikalpaka nirvikalpakapratyakṣajñānayorivāvāntarabhede’pi lakṣaṇaikatvāditi. tadevaṃ sthitametadanavadhāraṇa viśeṣādūhānadhyavasāyayorna saṃśayādarthāntarabhāva iti..Nyāyabhūṣaṇa, p. 23.

  19. ūhānadhyavasāyayostu saṃśaya eva.Saptapadārthī, p. 33.

  20. kiṃsaṃjñako’yamityatrāpi cūtaḥ panaso veti vikalpasphuraṇāt anadhyavasāyo’pi saṃśaya evetyarthaḥ. Commentary of Madhava Sarasvati on Saptapadārthī, p. 33.

  21. tacca saṃśayādibhyo’rthāntaraṃ, kāraṇabhedād viṣayabhedācceti.Vyomavatī, Vol-II, p. 131.

  22. (a) na cāyaṃ saṃśayaḥ, tasyobhayollekhitvāt, sāmānyopalambhādibhyaścotpadyamānatvācca. ityato’nadhyavasāya itarasmād bhidyate yathoktakāraṇajanyatvāt. yathoktaṃ vā jñānaṃ anadhyavasāya iti vyavaharattavyaṃ uktakāraṇebhyo niṣpadyamānatvāt. yastu na bhidyate na caivaṃ vyavahriyate, na cāsāvuktakāraṇebhyo niṣpadyate. yathā saṃśayādiriti. Ibid.

    (b) …..ubhayaviśeṣānusmaraṇāt saṃśayo na tvanadhyavasāyaḥ pratītiviśeṣaviṣayatvenāpyasya sambhavāt.Nyāyakandalī, Sampurnananda Sanskrit Universitedn., p. 436.

  23. saṃśayo hi prasiddhārtheṣveva bhavatīti.Vyomavatī, Vol-II, p. 131.

  24. Padārthadharmasaṃgraha, Sampurnananda Sanskrit University edn., pp. 434–435.

  25. …vāhīko hiṭhakaḥ (?hiraṭhakaḥ) tasya panasādiṣu saṅketābhāvād viśeṣasaṃjñollekhaśūnyaṃ ‘kinnāmāyaṃ’ iti jṭānamutpadyate.Vyomovatī, Vol-II, p. 131.

  26. …dakṣadeśodbhavasya panasādiṣvanadhyavasāya ityarthaḥ.Nyāyakandalī, Sampurnananda Sanskrit University edn., p. 435.

  27. tasya svarūpamāha….kiṃ nāmeti jñānaṃ viśeṣasaṃjñollekhaśūnyamanadhyavasāya iti.. Ibid.

  28. tathānavasthitobhayakoṭisaṃsparśī saṃśayo na tvayamiti bhedaḥ. Nyāyakandalī, Sampurnananda Sanskrit Universitedn., pp. 436–437.

  29. viruddhakoṭisaṃsparsyaniścayaḥ saṃśayaḥ. viruddhakoṭyasaṃsparśyaniścayo’nadhyavasāyaḥ.Mānananohara, p. 78.

  30. (a) sāmānyato’vagate viśeṣato’jñāte jijñāsite vācyaviśeṣe yadā kiṃśabdābhilāpaḥ, tadā’nadhyavasāyaḥ. avyavasthitanānāvācakavācyatvapratibhāse tu saṃśaya iti. avidyātvaṃ tu viśeṣavyavahāraparipanthitvāditi ramyam.Nyāyalīlāvatī, pp. 452–453.

    (b) sāmānyata iti. sāmānyato vṛkṣatvādinā, viśeṣataḥ panasatvādinā.yadā tadeti. sthūlakālopādhim ādāya anadhyavasāyasya jijñāsāpūrvakālīnatvena utpattiyaugapadyābhāvāt. nanu saṃśaya eva tajjanakaḥ syādityata āha—avyavastheti. Jijñāsāpūrvakāle viruddhanānā’nanubhāvakatvāt anubhūyamānaṃ tajjñānaṃ viśeṣato’nullikhitanānākoṭikatvānna saṃśayaḥ, ‘kiṃsvididaṃ’ ityākāramātrasyaiva jñānasya tadā’nubhavāt, sa cānadhyavasāya eveti bhāvaḥ. anullikhitanānākoṭikaṃ jñānaṃ anadhyavasāyaḥ, sa ca ullikhitaviruddhanānākoṭikajñānāt saṃśayād bhidyata eveti vyadhikaraṇaprakārāvacchedābhāve’pi viśeṣavyavahāraparipanthitvādavidyātvaṃ ityāha—avidyātvamiti. Nyāyalīlāvatīkaṇṭhābharaṇa, pp. 452–453.

    (c) sāmānyata iti. ‘ayaṃ kiṭcidvācakavācyo vṛkṣatvāditi niścaye’pi viśiṣyaitacchabdavācyo’-yamityanirṇaya ityarthaḥ. nanu sāmānyato’vagamānantaraṃ jijñāsottaraṃ kiṃśabdābhilāpa-samaye’nadhyavasāya iti vipratisiddhaṃ, anadhyavasāyasya jijñāsājanakatvena prākkālīnatvāt….tathāpi niścayasaṃśayabhinne tatkālīnajñānāntare mānābhāvaḥ. na hi tāvajjijñāsā tatra nirṇayajanyā, anucchedyatvāpatteḥ, nāpi saṃśayāt sā, koṭidvayānullekhāt. tasmātsaṃśayabhinnaṃ jijñāsājanakamavaśyaṃ vācyam.Nyāyalīlāvatīprakaśa, pp. 452–453.

  31. kecittu yatra sāmānyato viśeṣato vā vācyatvollekhaḥ so’nadhyavasāyo yatra ca panasatvāderarthollekhaḥ saṃśayaḥ sa iti lakṣaṇamāhuḥ. tadayuktam. asādhāraṇadharmaja- jñānasyaivānadhyavasāyatvenārthaviṣayasyāpi tādṛśasyānadhyavasāyāt.Nyāyalīlāvatīprakaśa-vivṛtti, p. 454.

  32. kecittu vyatirekadvayaprādhānye’nadhyavasāyo’nvayadvayaprādhānye tu saṃśaya ityeva bhedakam. prathamasyāvyāvṛttatvena jñātadharmajatvādaparasya cānuvṛttatvena jñātadharma-jatvāttathātvasambhavādityāhuḥ. tadapyayuktam. vipratipattijasya samapradhānobhayakatveno-bhayabahirbhāvāpatteriti.Nyāyalīlāvatīprakaśavivṛtti, pp. 454–455.

  33. viruddhanānāprakārakamekadharmmikaṃ jñānaṃ saṃśayaḥ. anullikhitanānāprakāraka-mekadharmmikaṃ jñānamanadhyavasāyaḥ.Kiraṇāvalīprakaśa, p. 524.

  34. yadvā sāmānyato virodhinānākoṭikaṃ jñānamanadhyavasāyaḥ. nanu ‘panasaḥ svidayamiti jñānaṃ na saṃśayaḥ, viśeṣato virodhikoṭyanullekhāt. nānadhyavasāyaḥ, anullikhitanānā-prakārakavirodhyullekhe hi saḥ. atra ca panasyasya tadanyasya ca kiṭcittvena koṭyullekhāt.. Ibid.

  35. …viśeṣato’nullikhitanānākoṭikaṃ jñānamanadhyavasāyaḥ. Ibid.

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    Soma Chakraborty

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Chakraborty, S. Is Anadhyavasāya a Distinct Type of Non-veridical Cognition (Avidyā)? Analysis of the Vaiśeṣika View. J. Indian Counc. Philos. Res. 36, 373–385 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40961-019-00177-3

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