Duquette, Ramasubramanian 2009, Anyathākhyāti - A Critique by Appaya Dīk Ita in The Parimala
Duquette, Ramasubramanian 2009, Anyathākhyāti - A Critique by Appaya Dīk Ita in The Parimala
Duquette, Ramasubramanian 2009, Anyathākhyāti - A Critique by Appaya Dīk Ita in The Parimala
DOI 10.1007/s10781-008-9064-6
Introduction
J. Duquette (&)
Faculté de théologie et de sciences des religions, Universite de Montreal,
3333 chemin Queen-Mary, Montreal, QC H3V 1A2, Canada
e-mail: jonathan.duquette@umontreal.ca
K. Ramasubramanian
Cell for Indian Science and Technology in Sanskrit, Department of Humanities and Social
Sciences, IIT Bombay, Mumbai, India
e-mail: kramas@iitb.ac.in
123
332 J. Duquette, K. Ramasubramanian
1
tadanena kramen: ādhyastam toyam paramārthatoyam iva, ata eva pūrvadr: s: tam iva; tattvatastu na
toyam, na ca pūrvadr: s: tam, kim˙ tu anr
˙ tam anirvācyam (Bhāmatı̄ 1992, p. 22). ˙
˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ :
2
tathāca svarūpen: a anirvācyam api toyam bhrame avabhāsitumarhati iti mudhā amus: ya deśāntar-
˙
: ya 2007, p. 23). Translation by the
ādau sattvakalpanetyāha (Kalpataru in : Brahmasūtraśāṅkarabhās
authors.
3
nanu deśāntarastharajatasya bhramavis: ayatvopapattau mudhā abhinavarajatakalpanam iti
viparı̄tam eva vaktum yuktam (Parimala in: Brahmasūtraśāṅkarabhās: ya 2007, p. 23). Translation
by the authors. ˙
123
Anyathākhyāti: A Critique by Appaya Dı̄ksita in the Parimala 333
˙
4
As an example of khyāti meaning ‘‘fame’’, we have: ‘‘By which action people wish to get great
fame (khyāti) in this world. . .’’ (Manusmr: ti,12.36). An example of khyāti meaning ‘‘knowledge’’ is
found in Māgha 4.55: ‘‘Those who know friendship, etc. as mind purifying agents, having overcome
afflictions [and] obtaining ‘sabı̄jayoga’ and the knowledge (khyāti) of the difference between
purus: a and prakr: ti, desire to halt that also in the stage of samādhi.’’
123
334 J. Duquette, K. Ramasubramanian
5
avasannah: avamato vā bhāsah: avabhāsah: . pratyayāntarabādhaścāsya avasādah: avamāno vā
(Bhāmatı̄ 1992, p. 16).
123
Anyathākhyāti: A Critique by Appaya Dı̄ksita in the Parimala 335
˙
front while in simple recollection, it is not. Thus, it is noted that without the
adjective smr: tirūpa in the definition of adhyāsa, one would be facing a case of
over-applicability (ativyāpti).6
Yet, by defining smr: tirūpa in such a way, Advaitins seem to have landed
into deeper trouble by rendering the very definition of adhyāsa inapplicable
(asambhava). Indeed, the fact that smr: tirūpa entails that the object recollected
˙ not be present in the locus is in total contradiction with their axiom
should
that every instance of perception necessitates that the object be present in the
locus where it is perceived. Thus, in the case of illusory perception also,
the superimposed object must be present for illusion to take place, as long as
the illusion remains. To circumvent this difficulty, Amalānanda, the author of
Kalpataru, replies that what is meant here by the object not being present is
that the object is not ‘‘really’’ present.7 The superimposed object has in fact a
relative existence as it depends for its own existence on the substratum in
which superimposition takes place.
Having given his definition of adhyāsa, Śaṅkara then proceeds to succinctly
present the conception of illusory perception maintained by other schools.
Though all schools basically concur on this definition, they do differ in the
details. Some speak of it as superimposition elsewhere of the attributes of
another; some others say that, when there is the superimposition of one on
another, it is a delusion conditioned by the absence of discrimination between
two cognitions; others, finally, say that when there is superimposition of one
on another, there is an assumption in the latter of an opposite attribute
(Bhāmatı̄ 1992, p. 16). What attracts our attention in this paper is the position
taken by Advaitins with respect to the Nyāya theory of illusory perception.
Before proceeding with the polemical discussion between the two schools as
presented in Parimala, we first introduce the Nyāya theory of anyathākhyāti
and the theoretical device of jñānalaks: an: apratyāsatti, on which it heavily relies
upon.
6
asannihitavis: ayatvam ca smr: tirūpatvam, sannihitavis: ayam ca pratyabhijñānam samı̄cı̄nam iti
nātivyāptih: (Bhāmatı̄˙ 1992, pp. 17–18). ˙ ˙
7
asannidhānam ca āropyasya adhis: thāne paramārthatah: asattvam (Kalpataru in: Brah-
˙ ˙ ˙
: ya 2007, p. 19).
masūtraśāṅkarabhās
8
indriyārthasannikars: a janyam jñānam pratyaks: am (Tarkasamgraha 1998, p. 14).
˙ ˙
123
336 J. Duquette, K. Ramasubramanian
123
Anyathākhyāti: A Critique by Appaya Dı̄ksita in the Parimala 337
˙
13
ittham ca raṅge rajatatvaviśis: tabuddhyanurodhena jñānalaks: an: apratyāsattikalpane’pi na ks: atih:
˙ ˙
phalamukhagauravasyādos : atvāt (Muktāvalı̄ in: Kārikāvalı̄ 2002, p. 487).
14
etena—‘surabhi candanam’ ityādiviśis: tajñānāya kalpitā jñānalaksan: ā pratyāsattirapi nirastā,
candana tvena surabhitvānumānopapatteh,˙anyathā sādhyaviśis: tapaks: apratyaks: opapatteh: anumāna
mātrocchedaprasaṅgāt (Advaitasiddhi 1997, pp. 342–343). ˙
15
However, it must be noted that in the case of perceiving the same sandalwood which is known
to have fragrance from a previous experience, no inference is necessary: recollection alone is
sufficient for knowledge of fragrance to take place.
123
338 J. Duquette, K. Ramasubramanian
16
It is only Naiyāyikas who consider knowledge to be a quality of the self. Besides knowledge, the
self possesses several other qualities, such as pain, pleasure, infinitude, etc., some of which (like
infinitude) are not necessarily perceived when the mind gets related to the self. It is however not
clear why that knowledge, as a quality of the self, is itself always perceived. If we insist that
knowledge is always perceived because it is its nature to be perceived, then it amounts to say that
knowledge reveals itself, i.e., is self-evident, which is the Advaita view (Datta 1997, p. 114).
17
Indeed, according to Advaitins, the nature of the self is consciousness (cit). Since the self is self-
evident, and that knowledge is evident to the self, knowledge does not require another knowledge
to become evident. Therefore, there is no need for anuvyavasāya for the self to recognize that it
possesses knowledge.
18
By the ‘‘complex of causal factors’’, we refer to the different auxiliaries necessary for per-
ception to take place, such as a sense-organ, its contact with the object, the presence of light, etc.;
with respect to inference, we refer to the invariable concomitance (vyāpti) between the middle and
major terms of the inference, the subsumptive reflection (parāmarśa), etc.
19
See, for instance, Muktāvalı̄ in: Kārikāvalı̄ 2002, p. 316.
123
Anyathākhyāti: A Critique by Appaya Dı̄ksita in the Parimala 339
˙
for extraordinary perception and inference are both present, and where the
final cognition that takes place is one of [extraordinary] perception and not of
inference. The example is that of a pillar falsely perceived as a human being.20
First, we doubt whether it is a pillar or a human being. Then, because we
seemingly perceive the movement of a hand (which is always associated with a
human being), we infer the presence of a human being. The causal factor that
gives rise to inference in that case is the apparent motion of the hand. But
after examination, we find that there is no hand at all. Hence, the perception
that it is a human being must be through jñānalaks: an: apratyāsatti since it is an
instance of false perception, and therefore Naiyāyikas have to accept that the
causal factors for perception (ordinary or extraordinary) do prevail upon
those for inference.
In response to that, Naiyāyikas maintain that in cases of inference where
the major term (sādhya) cannot be known prior to inferential cognition,
extraordinary perception cannot take place and therefore, inference cannot be
declared to be redundant. The example that is cited in this regard is the
following one: ‘‘Earth is different from the rest (non-earth) because it pos-
sesses smell.’’ Because smell exclusively belongs to earth, it is impossible to
conclude that whatever has smell is different from the rest without referring to
earth itself; it is only possible to observe that what is not different from the rest
has no smell.21 Therefore, the major term (‘‘different from the rest’’) cannot
be cognized through jñānalaks: an: apratyāsatti, and hence there is no question of
abandoning inference as a means of knowledge. But this is not an argument
which is acceptable to Advaitins because in their view, an inference is a
process of reasoning based on an invariable concomitance between the middle
and the major terms, not between the absence of the major term and the
absence of the middle term. Hence, they do not consider the above example as
an instance of inference but as one of arthāpatti, or postulation, considered by
them as another means of valid knowledge.22
20
This example is not construed by Advaitins but has been accepted by the Naiyāyikas them-
selves to demonstrate that the causal factors for perception are more powerful than those for
inference, in the absence of a desire to infer. See, for instance, Muktāvalı̄ in: Kārikāvalı̄ 2002,
p. 316.
21
According to Naiyāyikas, the middle term (hetu) of an inference can be of three types: anvaya-
vyatirekı̄ (concomitant in affirmation and negation), kevalānvayi (concomitant in affirmation
alone) and kevala-vyatirekı̄ (concomitant in negation alone). In the inference ‘‘I see smoke on the
mountain, therefore there is fire’’, the middle term is anvaya-vyatirekı̄ because both affirmative
concomitance (anvayavyāpti) and negative concomitance (vyatirekavyāpti) are possible. For
instance, ‘‘wherever there is smoke, there is fire, as in a hearth’’ and ‘‘wherever there is no fire,
there is no smoke, as in a tank’’ are valid instances of anvayavyāpti and vyatirekavyāpti, respec-
tively. An example of kevalānvayi is: ‘‘Jar is nameable because it is knowable, like a cloth’’; here, it
is impossible to find the absence of a concomitance between ‘‘knowability’’ and ‘‘nameability’’
because all things are knowable and nameable. The example cited in the text is kevala-vyatirekı̄
because the affirmative concomitance cannot be observed (Tarkasamgraha 1998, pp. 231–233).
22
˙
The justification advanced by Naiyāyikas and the refutation of Advaitins discussed above, are
succinctly presented in the Advaitasiddhi as follows: abhāvasādhyakakevalavyatirekin: i
sādhyaprasiddheh: anaṅgatvāt tatra k!ptāyā anumitisāmagryāh: pratyaks: asāmagrı̄to balavattvam iti
—vācyam; arthāpattivādibhih: asmābhih: tadanabhyupagamāt (Advaitasiddhi 1997, pp. 343–344).
123
340 J. Duquette, K. Ramasubramanian
23
This rule can be understood in the case of the fragrant sandalwood if: yatra ¼ in the sandal-
wood (locus); yat ¼ fragrance; pūrvamavagatam ¼ known [to be present] previously; tasminneva
punardr: śyamāne ¼ when the same locus (i.e., ˙the sandalwood) is seen again; tajjñānasya ¼ the
knowledge of the fragrance [takes place].
24
This rule can again be understood in the case of the fragrant sandalwood if: yadavacchede-
na ¼ that which is delimited by the ‘‘sandalwood-ness’’; yat ¼ fragrance; pūrvamavagat-
am ¼ known [to be present] previously; tadvattvena ¼ by the nature of possessing ‘‘sandalwood-
˙
ness’’; dr: śyamāne ¼ when it [another sandalwood] is seen; tajjñānasya ¼ the knowledge of the
fragrance [takes place].
25
pūrvam rajatatvavattvena rajatatvāvacchedakavattvena vā anavagate śuktiśakale rajatajñānasya
samnikars: atvāyogāt (Parimala in: Brahmasūtraśāṅkarabhās: ya 2007, p. 23).
˙
123
Anyathākhyāti: A Critique by Appaya Dı̄ksita in the Parimala 341
˙
26
The word dos: a is a generic term employed to denote the various factors, specifiable or not
specifiable, that are responsible for the generation of illusion. In the rope-snake illusion, for
instance, the dos: a could be the similarity between the rope and the snake; in the ghost-post
illusion, it could be the dim light, the distance between the object and the observer, the blurred
vision, etc.; in the case of objects looking yellow, it could be the jaundice disease. However, in
certain instances, the dos: a can hardly be pinpointed, such as in the case of dreams, hallucinations,
misunderstandings, etc.
27
On various occasions, Indian philosophers (śāstrakāras) invoke the ‘‘principle of parsimony’’
(lāghava) to justify a certain view. This principle (lāghavanyāya) is formulated as such:
k!ptakalpyayormadhye k!ptam balı̄yah: , i.e., ‘‘between that which has already been established and
˙ (i.e., any other explanation), what has been established is more
that which has to be established
powerful.’’
28
śaśasya śr: ṅgamasti. tadevamlaks: an: amarn: ye patitamanvis: ya labdhum śakyam j tena cedam
prayojanam bhavati (Parimala ˙in: Brahmasūtraśāṅkarabhās: ya 2007, p. 23).˙ ˙ ˙
˙
123
342 J. Duquette, K. Ramasubramanian
theory of illusion, then one is obliged to bring in jñānalaks: an: apratyāsatti for the
innocent person to perceive the hare’s horn in that ‘‘something’’ he picked up.
Since, however, hare’s horn is a non-existent (asat) entity, there is no question of
a revived memory arising from a previous perception of that. Thus, in order to
explain the direct perception of hare’s horn, one has to accept—even if one does
not wish so—the generation of an apparent hare’s horn (prātibhāsikaśaśaśrṅga)
due to some dos: a.
Here Naiyāyikas could still defend their position by saying that
jñānalaks: an: apratyāsatti can arise because the innocent person has the memory
of having heard the impostor’s description of hare’s horn. In other words, the
memory created through verbal knowledge, known as vikalpa,29 can itself serve
for the generation of jñānalaks: an: apratyāsatti, through which the above illusion
can be explained. According to Naiyāyikas, there is no need for accepting the
generation of an apparent hare’s horn as one can explain the illusion with the
help of jñānalaks: an: apratyāsatti itself. Perhaps keeping this in mind, Appaya
Dı̄ks: ita takes recourse to dreams as an example of illusion where even vikalpa
cannot be conceived of for the generation of jñānalaks: an: apratyāsatti. In fact, it
is not uncommon to perceive in dreams things that have neither been seen, nor
heard of or inferred at any time before. In such instances, even Naiyāyikas have
to resort to some kind of a defect, a dos: a, to explain the illusion. Hence, it is clear
that it is not possible to give a unified explanation of illusory perception with the
help of jñānalaks: an: apratyāsatti alone.30
Having thus explained the need for accepting the generation of an apparent
entity in dreams, Advaitins take also resort to śruti to strengthen their posi-
tion. In the Br: hadāran: yaka Upanis: ad (IV.3.10), it is said: ‘‘There are no
chariots there, no spans, no roads. But he projects from himself blisses,
pleasures, delights.’’31 The śruti here describes the dream state as one in which
the individual apparently creates (sr: jate) what he perceives.32 Without
accepting such creation, it would not be possible to explain the presence of
chariots, spans, etc. in the dreamer’s place. In the view of Advaitins, this verse
also suggests that the created entities are ‘‘unreal’’ (mithyā), i.e., not ‘‘really’’
present, for these entities cease to exist when the dreamer wakes up. In the
same way, the illusory object is said to be unreal (mithyā) as welll as inde-
terminate (anirvācyam) because it is neither existent—being sublated in the
wake of knowledge—nor non-existent—because it is actually perceived.
Another justification advanced by Dı̄ks: ita in favour of anirvacanı̄yakhyāti is
that it does not require the introduction of new tools for apprehending the
illusory object, other than whatever has been accepted as the necessary tools
29
In Yogasūtra I.9, vikalpa is defined to be the verbal knowledge of a non-existent entity (śab-
dajñāna anupātı̄ vastuśūnyo vikalpah: ).
30
asti ca svapne manus: yapaśupaks: ivr: ks: ādyanekarūpasyaikasyāvayavino’nubhavah: , na ca
tatrāsamnihitavis: ayatvam kalpayitum śakyamityagatyā dos: avaśād prātibhāsikasyaiva tasyotpatti-
˙ ı̄yā (Parimala˙ in: Brahmasūtraśāṅkarabhās
˙
:
raṅgı̄karan : ya 2007, p. 24).
31
na tatra rathā, na rathayogā, na panthāno bhavanti, atha rathān rathayogān pathah: sr: jate
(Radhakrishnan 1973).
32
Such a discussion is also found, for instance, in Brahmasūtrabhās: ya III.2.1-5.
123
Anyathākhyāti: A Critique by Appaya Dı̄ksita in the Parimala 343
˙
in the case of normal perception. In general, two conditions are required for
normal perception to take place: 1. the contact of the object with the sense-
organ(s); and 2. the contact of light with the object.33 In the case of illusion,
these conditions are respected only if one accepts that the entity is present in
the locus where it is perceived, which in turn demands the creation of an
apparent entity at the moment of illusion. On the other hand, if we maintain
that illusory perception occurs through the mediation of knowledge only, i.e.,
through jñānalaks: an: apratyāsatti, these conditions cannot be fulfilled. As a
result, new tools have to be introduced for explaining the apprehension of the
illusory object, which again boils down to abandoning the principle of parsi-
mony.
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344 J. Duquette, K. Ramasubramanian
Conclusion
34
nacābhinavarajatotpattyaṅgı̄kāre jalabudbudāderiva tasyotpattināśānubhavaprasaṅgah: , bhramakāle
tasya prāksiddhapurovartitādātmyenānubhūyamānatayā utpattyapratı̄tyupapatteh: , bādhāvatāre
traikālikanis: edhasyānubhūyamānatayā nāśāpratı̄tyupapatteśca (Parimala in: Brahmasūtraśā-
ṅkarabhās: ya 2007, p. 24).
35
A detailed discussion on this issue can also be found in the chapter ‘‘āvidyakarajatotpatyu-
papatti’’ of the Advaitasiddhi I.58 (pp. 648–651).
36
According to Advaitins, the śruti itself provides the platform for such a classification. In the
Advaitasiddhi I.8 (p. 216), the following śruti from Taittirı̄ya Upanis: ad II.6.3—satyam cānr: tam ca
satyamabhavat—is cited and commented upon. The interpretation provided there is that ˙ the word ˙
satyam appearing in the second place refers to pāramārthika, the first one refers to vyāvahārika
and the word anr: tam refers to prātibhāsika. For a more detailed (and polemical) discussion on this
˙
issue per se, the reader may refer to Advaitasiddhi I.60 (pp. 656–661).
37
naca kvacidutpadya kañcitkālam sthitasya tatra traikālikanis: edhānupapattih: , phalabalāt
˙
samānasattākayoreva pratiyogitadatyantābhāvayorvirodhah : , na tu prātibhāsikavyāvahārikayoriti
kalpanopapatteh: (Parimala in: Brahmasūtraśāṅkarabhās: ya 2007, p. 24).
123
Anyathākhyāti: A Critique by Appaya Dı̄ksita in the Parimala 345
˙
analyzed. It was shown that though this device may be useful in explaining
certain cognitive events, such as the cognition of ‘‘fragrant silver’’, it cannot be
successfully employed in the case of illusory perception. It seems to us that the
crux of Dı̄ks: ita’s argumentation is to uphold the ‘‘principle of parsimony’’
(lāghava), which he brilliantly applies to arrive at a unified formulation for the
explanation of illusion taking place in dreams as well as in other kinds of
illusions. Also, he successfully employs it while extending the already estab-
lished theory of perception to the apprehension of illusory objects, thereby
avoiding intrusion of any further complexity into the theory.
Further, it is interesting to note that the arguments presented here by
Appaya Dı̄ks: ita while refuting the theory of anyathākhyāti, and establishing
the Advaita theory of anirvacanı̄yakhyāti, are purely based upon logical rea-
soning and not on scriptural authority. It is not uncommon to find Advaitins
resorting to śruti during polemical discussions to uphold their position against
other philosophical systems. It is indeed remarkable that Dı̄ks: ita here refutes
a theory upheld by logicians by remaining on their own territory. Some of the
possible objections against anirvacanı̄yakhyāti have been raised as well as
answered by Dı̄ks: ita himself in the course of his discussion. In this paper, only
one among these objections has been discussed. Other objections are planned
to be taken in a further paper.
Appendix
The discussion undertaken by Appaya Dı̄ks: ita in the Parimala, the subject
matter of this paper, follows Amalānanda’s commentary on a particular sec-
tion of the Bhāmatı̄. In order to facilitate the readers who would be interested
in the original Sanskrit texts, we reproduce here this section of the Bhāmatı̄
from (Bhāmatı̄ 1992, p. 22ff.), and the corresponding commentaries in Kalp-
ataru and Parimala from (Brahmasūtraśāṅkarabhās: ya 2007, p. 23ff.).
Bhāmatı̄
Kalpataru
123
346 J. Duquette, K. Ramasubramanian
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Anyathākhyāti: A Critique by Appaya Dı̄ksita in the Parimala 347
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