1.1. Epistemology in Vedic Tradition

[Full title: Pramāṇamimāṃsā (Epistemology) (1): In Vedic Tradition]

Epistemology is one of the main branches of philosophy. It is a systematic study of the nature of knowledge, means of valid knowledge, and the process of attaining knowledge.^[1] Knowledge is gained by a process that involves senses, mind, and jiva. It is the explicit information procured by the process of reason applied to reality. In short, epistemology is the source that leads us towards the ultimate truth. Before we start to analyze the Svāminārāyaṇa Bhāṣya in light of the Vacanāmṛta in this chapter, we should understand the basic nature and form of epistemology in Vedic tradition.

Epistemology in Vedic tradition provides a profound way to attain the ultimate knowledge. It is based on a realist methodology.^[2] From ancient times, the scholars, researchers, analysts, pandits, and thinkers of India put a rigorous effort to search for the ultimate truth. Although the base was pure spirituality, yet they never stopped to ask vigorous questions to themselves relentlessly. As a result, they developed an efficient method to find the final truth. Therefore, the development of epistemology in India was the result of a constant quest to reach the ultimate blissful goal.^[3] It has the hardness of logic and the eternal fruit at the end.^[4] In other words, we can put forward that Indian epistemology is well organized, deeply rooted, superbly classified, and immensely fruitful. It is one of the great efforts at the construction of a substantiality, that the world has ever seen^[5]. It is a kind of pure justification.^[6] Although, here we have to take into account that the number of pramāṇa in different schools of Vedanta is also different.