1. Introduction

29 CHAPTER I HISTORICAL STUDY OF NYAYA SYSTEM 1 The word 'Nyaya' popularly signifies 'right' or 'justice'. The Nyaya system is, therefore, the science of right judgement or true reasoning. Technically the word 'Nyaya' signifies a syllogism (or a speech of five parts), and Anviksild was called Nyaya sastra, when Nyaya constituted its special topic. That the word 'Nyaya' actually signifies a syllogism, is evident from an 3 observation quoted by Vatsyayana that "Nyaya functions neither with regard to things unknown nor with regard to things that are definitely known, but it functions only with regard to things that are doubtful." Again, Vatsyayane defines Nyaya as an examination of objects by evidences, but he takes evidences to signify a syllogism which consists of 'proposition' based on verbal testimony, a 'reason' based on inference, an 'exemple' based on perception, an 'application' based on comparison, and a 'conclusion' based on all the previous four avayavas● Visvanatha explains Nyaya-Svarupa as the essential form of a syllogism which consists of its five parts, and 1. S.C.Vidyabhusana, History of Indian Logic, Page 40. 2. Ibid. 3. Vatsyayana, Nyaya Bhasya, 1.1.4" 4. Ibid. 5, vlsvenatha, naya Sutra Vetti, 1125; 1131; 1.1.38; l.1.40.

30 1 Madhvacarya understands by the term 'nyaya' as inference for the sake of others in which a syllogism is specially employed. In view of this technical meaning we may interpret Nyaya sastra as the science of syllogism or the science of inference for the sake of others, i..., the science of demonstration.