Descriptive Catalogue of Sanskrit Manuscripts Asiatic Society Vol 11

SR No.: 020279
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Hariprasad Shastri, Narendrachandra Vedanttirtha, Chintaharan Chakravarti
Publisher: Asiatic Society
Publication Year: 1957
Total Pages: 1052
Language: English, Sanskrit
Classification: Catalogue
File Size: 21 MB

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found to be indispensible in determining what is purportful reflection and what is not, in distinguishing and assigning fruit and in finding out what is glorified and what is not. Institution has given place to critical reason. The logic or Nyāya attempts to justify by reason what is implicitly accepted by faith. The science of reasoning employs logical method and arrives at truth agreeable to reason and is anxious to preserve its continuity with ancient texts. The function of the science of reasoning is to develop the spiritual truth recorded in the Vedas and show its connection and consonance with its independent conclusion.
Reason and Revelation thus justify, supplement and support each other. We may conclude by saying that the Nyāya system propounded by Gotama aspires to the distinction of giving a complete system of philosophy, based upon the most elementary metaphysical notion There is no doubt, however, that the Nyāya has, first among the philosophical systems of India, thoroughly examined the art of reasoning and as all reasoning depended on proof, Gotama properly laid the greatest stress on that. The study of the science of investigation or reasoning propounded by Gotama is as important a help in leading to right conclusion and guarding against fallacies as the sextant is to a mariner in making his observation at sea. Hence, it has gained such an admiration of and ascendency among the great thinkers of India that all of them, however they may deviate from the other doctrines of Nyaya, refer to it as their standard in logic and deem its study necessary for the purpose of giving a firm basis to their reasoning. It is one of the principal merits of the Nyāya, that its progress is marked by an admirably exact division of topics treated in it and in this respect it is not only superior to all other systems of Indian philosophy, but even modern philosophy, too, might, with advantage study it on account of its clearness and exactness. From the above account it is clear that Nyāya philosophy had developed to a pretty good extent before it was systematised in an aphoristic form and when it was so systematised, the collection of aphorisms was attributed to the authorship of the reputed founder Gotama. Vätsyāyana, Uddyotakara, Vācaspati, Udayana, Jayanta, all are unanimous in asserting that Gotama is only the promulgator of Nyāya philosophy and not its originator. We have told that Nyāya has been held in great reverence for a long time past. All the sixteen topics can be traced from the Upanişads, Manu, Pāṇini, etc., and they testify to the antiquity of the science of reasoning. The Nyāyamanjarīl points out that there was the science of reasoning for
'NM. I. I.