Philosophy (3): Nyāya and Vaiśeṣika

Gautama is the founder of the Nyāya school of philosophy and Kaṇāda of Vaiśeṣika school. Nyāya also called ānvīkṣikī is a science of methodical reasoning as applied to the interpretation of the Vedic mantras. Vaiśeṣika system deals with the classification of matter and its products. Since this system believes that the basis for the difference between one ultimate product of matter and another is the particularity-Viśeṣa, it is called Vaiśeṣika school. The two systems influenced each other in nature and treatment of the respective subjects, inspite of their differences in their aims and purposes. Hence they are referred together as Nyāya–Vaiśeṣika.

(a) Dravya (III. 3. 154; p. 307)–

[Substance:]

Kṣīrasvāmin defines dravya in the Vaiśeṣika terms as:

“That in which the action and quality are the inherent cause, samavāyikāraṇaṃ like the earth etc.”–

guṇāśraye yathā - kriyāvad guṇavatsamavāyikāraṇaṃ dravyaṃ pṛthivyādi |

(b) Guṇa (III. 3. 47; p. 281)–

[Quality:]

Amarakośa mentions several meanings to this word in the Nānārtha varga one of them being quality.

Kṣīrasvāmin explains the guṇa as a quality, in two aspects–one as an attribute, like the colour of the cloth; and the other as the qualities attributed to the self such as buddhi, sukha and others. He also adds that qualities are 24 in number^[1] which is accepted by both the schools of Nyāya and Vaiśeṣika–

dravyāśrite paṭādeḥ śuklādirguṇaḥ | ātmano buddhisukhādiḥ | rūpādicaturviṃśatirguṇatvāt |

(c) Dṛṣṭānta^[2] (III. 3. 62; p. 284)–

[Example:]

Amarakośa suggests that the homonymous term dṛṣṭānta signifies both a science and an example. Kṣīrasvāmin illustrates the word in the sense of example citing from the Tarka śāstra—

[The following] is a famous example oft quoted by the logicians to explain inference–

“Here is fire since one can see the smoke as seen in the kitchen”

nidarśanamudāharaṇaṃ yathā—āgniratra dhūmānmahānasavat |

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Guṇas according to the Sāṅkhya school are three sattva, rajas and tamas.

[2]:

dṛṣṭāntāvubhau śāstranidarśane |