’APACCHEDA NYAYA VAISHAMYAM’ A BOOK IN SANSKRIT

अपच्छेदन्यायवैषम्यम्  is the title of a book, in Sanskrit, newly released by the Purna prajna samshodhana mandiram, Bangalore. This book is a detailed report of a meet held in this institution in March 2010.  The discussion is on the pUrva mImAmsA nyAya by the name अपच्छेदन्यायः which the Advaitins have applied in strength of their tenet.  The effective part of the nyAya is: the knowledge had earlier is set aside by the knowledge that arises subsequently.  In other words, the knowledge had from the shruti pramANa sublates the knowledge had from the pratyakSha, etc. pramANa had in the state of ignorance.

This nyAya was understandably invoked first by the author of the ‘Brahmasiddhi’. Later, Ananda bodha too has referred to it and Vachaspati Mishra has explicitly stated it in the bhAmati.  The nyAyAmRtam authored by the savant of the Dvaita school, Sri Vyasatirtha, has extensively criticised the Advaitic application of the nyAya and this has been replied by the Advaita siddhi of Madhusudana Saraswati.  The name ‘अपच्छेदन्यायवैषम्यम्’ actually occurs in the nyAyAmRtam. Much deliberation has taken place with this nyAya as the subject matter between the Advaitins and the Dvaitins. 

In the above book one finds that the renowned pUrvamImAmsA and Advaita scholar Dr.Mani Dravid SastriNaH has expressed the view that Sri VyAsatirtha has not adhered to the method of the  pUrvamImAmsA shAstra while showing the disagreement/contradiction (वैषम्यम्) to the Advaitin’s application of the nyAya.  This view has been debated in the said discussion which is fully covered in the above book. The Dvaita scholars Dr. D.Prahladacharya, Dr.Haridasa Bhattacharya and Vidwan Ruchira Acharya have defended the nyAyAmRtam handling of the nyAya while Dr.Mani Dravid SastriNaH has stuck to his stand. 

This book offers a detailed view of the nyAya, its implications and the various issues it brings forth.  In 42 pages of good print, the book is priced at Rs.60 and is available at the Samshodhana Mandiram office: Phone: 080 26694026, email: ppsmb1@gmail.com. 

I found the presentation very interesting and would recommend it to a student of any school of Vedanta.  By reading such books one gets to know a lot of details pertaining to Vedanta, both Advaita and Dvaita, NyAya, pUrvamImAmsA and in the passing, of the vyAkaraNa shAstra too.  This benefit is certainly a bonus to the reader. It expands his vision and deepens his thinking capacity. One can see how the four shAstra-s form a fine team in contributing to the final understanding.