Vidydabhusana's Introduction to Gotama's Nyaya Sutra

15 Apr 2023

In his introduction to The Nyaya Sutras of Gotama (1913), Satisa Chandra Vidyabhusana discusses the etymological meaning of Naya sutra, its authorship, and its strained reception in the vedic tradition of scriptural authority. He finds that Panini, famous Sanskrit grammarian from 350 BC, explained the term “Nyaya” as a derivative of the root “i” meaning “gam” or “to go.” In this sense, Vidyabhusana points, “‘Nyaya’ as signifying logic is etymologically identitcal with ‘nigama’ the conclusion of a syllogism” (I). He finds that Panini, famous Sanskrit grammarian from 350 BC, explained the term “Nyaya” as a derivative of the root “i” meaning “gam” or “to go.” In this sense, Vidyabhusana points, “‘Nyaya’ as signifying logic is etymologically identitcal with ‘nigama’ the conclusion of a syllogism” (i). Bhivusana pointa that, though Naya is the earliest work in Nyaya philosophy, the concept of logic has been referred to Sanskrit tradition by the terms like

• Hetu-vidya or Hetu-Sastra–the scince of causes
• Anviksiki–the scicne of inquiry
• Pramana-Sastra–teh science of corrent knowledge
• Tatta-Sastra–the science of categories
• Takra-vidya–the science of reasoning
• Vadartha–the science of discussion
• Phakkika-Sastra–the science of sophism (i)

Vidyabhusana writes that the Gautama or Gotama Aksapada or Dirggatapas was credited as the teh founding sage of Nyaya or logic. Aksapada and Dirghatapas refer to Gotama’s “meditative habit and practice of long penance” (ii).

By looking at the numerous mentions of sage Gotama or Gautama in Vedic samhitas to the Upanishads, to Puranast to Epics, and to historical records in Mithila, Vidyabhusana conjectures that Gotama, “the founder of Nyaya Philosophy, lived about the year 550 B.C.” (ix).

Vidhyabhusana also points that when Gotama came up with “a rational system of philosophy called ‘Nyaya’,” initially it had no connection to the “topics of the Vedic Samhitas and Barhmana” (xii). It means Nyaya began as a pure logic devoid of any scriptural beliefs and it was based on what Gotama galled four means of valid knowledge:

1. perception
2. inference
3. comparision
4. word of which the last signinfied knowledge derived through any reliable assertion (xii)

But Nyaya’s call for rational inquiry received a strong resistance from the community of “orthodox Brahmanas” like Jaimini, Manu, Valimiki, and Vyasa among others.

• Sage Jaimini who propounded Mimiamsa-Sutra emphasized on the prescriptive rituals and ignored the other parts of Veda.
• Manu, in Mansmiriti, enjoined that the twiceborn members of the coummiunity be excommunicated if they ignore Veda and Dharma-satras and rely upon Hetu-Shastra or Logic.
• Valmiki, in his Ramayana, considered Avnisiki or the science of lgoic as perverse frivorlty and diregarded the people who pursue it at the cost of edicts of Dharma-sastra.
• Vyasa, in Mahabharata’s Santiparva, tells the story of a Brahman who, being additcted to Tarkavidya or logic and detached from faith in Veda, got punished to be reborn as a jackle. Vyasa warned the followers of Vedanta philsophy not to share their doctrines with the followers of Naiyayika or Logic. Vidyabhusana found that Vyasa does not even “review the Nyaya system in the Brahman-sutra seeing that it has not been recoginsed by any worthy sage” (xii).

Suuch stories of pubishment of the puruser of loigc are numerous in scriptures. For instance, in Naisadha-carita, Kali chastizes Gotama the founder of Nyaya “the ‘most bovine’ among the sages” (xii).

Consequently, instead of entirley relying on the rational frame, Nyaya started incoporating the element of trust on the authority of Vdeas (Vidhyabhusana xiv). Later on, it got included in other philosophical systemts like Vaisesika, Yoga, Mimamsa, and Samkhya (xiv). Thus, Nyaya was accepted as a branch of knowledge.

Reference:
Gotama, Aksapada. The Nyaya Sutras of Gotama. Translated by Satisa Chandra Vidyabhusana, Allahabad: The Panini Panini Ofice, 1913.