Nature of Pramana

Pramanas are the measures or canons of knowledge by means of which we can check and evaluate the existing knowledge. The term 'pramana' is split-up as 'Pramayah Karanam' or 'Pramiyate amena'. In the former, there are two terms: 'proma' and 'Karana'. By 'prama', Vat syayana means 'the apprehending of the object', which is called right knowledge. Gangesa defines it as the right knowledge of a thing as it exists, or the right knowledge of a thing in the manner it exists. In other words, by g 'prama', we mean correct and direct experience which does 1. Gautama, Nyaya Sutra, 1l•le 2. Vetsyeyana, Nyaya Phasya, l●l.l. 3. Gangesa, Tattvacintamani, Pratyaksakhanda, Page 401.

104 not depend upon anything else for its apprehension. second term *Karana' has been defined by Panini as 1 The *Sadhakatamam Karanam', that is, a karana is the most officient cause to accomplish a certain end. In other words, a karana is that the presence of which necessitates the action. Summing up the two terms, it comes to mean that a pramana is that which leads necessarily to the accomplishment of a certain action. Pramata (the knower), pramana (means of knowledge), prameya (the knowable) and prama (the knowledge)-these four terms comprehend 2 artha-tattva, the truth about the object. But the most essential of these factors is promana, without the presence of which, in spite of the pramata and prameya being present, right knowledge would not arise at all. Wherever the pramana is present, cognition arises; wherever it is absent, whatever else may be present, cognition does not arise. Pramana is thus defined as the most essential (sadhaka tama) of the causes of prama. Vatsyayana says, "It is that by the instrumentality of which things are 3 rightly cognized." By Pramiyete anona', the second interpretation of 1. Panini Sutra, 1.4.42. 2. Vatsyayana, Nyaya Bhasya, l.i.l. 3. Ibid.

105 the term pramana, we mean that pramane is that means of knowledge by which the knower (pramata) acquires the valid knowledge (prama) of an object (prameya). Vatsyayana says that pramana is that which leads the knower (pramata) to the cognition of the objects (arthapratipattih). sivaditya brings out the logical implication when he 2 1 defines pramana as that which produces prama or knowledge in accord with reality. Jyanta makes pramana the cause which produces non-erroneous, certain knowledge of objects. 3 Hence, it is through the right knowledge that the verification of definitions of the object is done and the object is correctly known.