Tattvabindu of Vachaspati Mishra (study)

by Kishor Deka | 2024 | 49,069 words

This page relates ‘Place of Vacaspati Mishra’ of the English study of the Tattvabindu by Vachaspati Mishra (study)—a significant text in the Mimamsa philosophy which addresses the concept of verbal knowledge (shabdabodha) and identifies the efficient cause behind it, examining five traditional perspectives. These are Sphota-Vada, Varna-Vada, Varnamala-Vada, and Anvitabhidhana-Vada and Abhihitanvaya-Vada, with the Tattvabindu primarily endorsing the Abhihitanvayavada view.

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Part 3.2 - Place of Vācaspati Miśra

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Very little information is found about the life of Vācaspati Miśra. Traditionally, he was a Maithili Brahmin who hailed from the region of Bihar and to have lived somewhere near the Nepal Frontier. In this regard, Gaṅgānāth Jhā has mentioned that there is a village in that region of Bihar named Bhāmā, which is supposed to have been named after Vācaspati’s Advaita commentary entitled Bhāmatī.^[1] On the other hand, Dinesh Chandra Bhattacharya mentions that he belonged to Badagāma in Pargana Niśśakapūrakūḍhā [Niśśaṅkapūra-kūḍhā?], which is now situated in the Saharṣa district on the eastern boundary of Darbhāṅgā.^[2] Another Mīmāṃsaka Umesh Miśra, in his work History of Indian Philosophy, identifies Vācaspati’s village as Thāṛhī, in the Darbhāṅgā district of Bihar.

Vācaspati, with gratitude, himself mentions Trilocana as his preceptor who established a few landmarks in the history of the Nyāya school, especially in regard to nirvikalpa pratyakṣa (indeterminate perception). Vācaspati Miśra learnt this theory of indeterminate perception from his guru.^[3] Trilocana’s only work is Nyāyamañjarī which is different from the work of the same name written by Jayanta Bhaṭṭa.

About his personal identity and ancestry, nothing is known except the tradition that he is the incarnation of Śaṅkara himself in order to popularize the Advaita system through his Bhāmatī. That he was always devoted to study and was engaged in composing standard works like the Bhāmatī in all Śāstras is noteworthy.

In this connection a curious story is narrated. It is said that during his marriage, he heard some learned discussions of great pandits which was a custom prevalent in ancient India on such occasions. He was much attracted by the discussion and consequently cultivated that art all his life time. The result was that he devoted his life to the task of writing authoritative treatises on all Darśanas.