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A Study of the Discussion on <i>śabda-pramāṇa</i> in the <i>Tarkabhāṣāprakāśikā</i>: How to Explain the Process of Recognizing a Sound-Series as a Word

2023; Japanese Association of Indian and Buddhist Studies; Volume: 71; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês

10.4259/ibk.71.2_914

1884-0051

Miyoshi Mori,

Indian and Buddhist Studies

The śabda-pramāṇa, the verbal message as the instrument of cognition, has been widely discussed for long in various schools of Indian Philosophy, probably because the issue of how to consider the authority of the Veda in the framework of pramāṇa theories has been one of their central concerns. The Nyāya school also participated in this topic since very ancient times, but little has been done to make a comprehensive study of the development of Nyāya discussions on śabda-pramāṇa, especially before Navya-Nyāya. The present paper is intended to be a first step toward this research by analysing the extended discussion of the Tarkabhāṣāprakāśikā on śabda-pramāṇa. Specifically, the paper presents the details of the controversy between the Sphoṭa theory of the Grammarians and the Varṇa theory of the Naiyāyikas （TBhP, pp. 164-169）, and it is noteworthy that three texts, Mahābhāṣya, Sphoṭasiddhi, and Ślokavārttika, are quoted in the controversy.