I am seeking with the grace of lord dakshinamurti to understand and explore the nature of any pramana or means of knowledge.
What I seek to do, is not to enter any vedantic enquiry, or vedantic context of pramana, rather simply look at the nature of pramana, in ordinary human experience and gain certain understanding of how a pramana works, and later based on that understanding, extend the understanding to the vedantic context.
As we already know, a pramana implies both the presence of pramata (knower) and prameya (known). The knowledge that takes place in the buddhi of the pramata is what we call in sankrit the word for 'knowledge' is prama. So prama is the root word.
When the pramata, prameya and pramana come together, in ideal conditions, prama takes place in the pramatas buddhi. Over here the pramata does not have a choice.
For instance If Ram is standing on the banks of a river, and a boat appears in front. Ram has no choice or control as to the appearance of the boat. Ram was not looking for a boat on the river. But Ram was available with his eyes open, available to 'see' through his 'eyes'. So Ram, is the pramata, the pramana is his eyes, and the prameya is the boat. The prama is that , ' I see a boat'.
Let us examine this simple situation further.
What is it that we would call nischaya gnanam (doubtless knowledge) of the boat?
If the conditions were dark in the evening, it is possible that Ram has mistaken a log of wood for a boat.
On the other hand if Ram were having a cataract in his eyes , in that case also, it is possible that he mistook a log of wood for a boat.
Therefore Ram might have a conviction, that I indeed saw a boat. If this boat was somehow involved in a court case, a murder case near the river, on the exact same time Ram was standing by the river, Ram in that case gets called to the court. The advocate questions him " Mr Ram , it was late in the evening, it was dark, remember you cannot lie in a court of law. Are you sure that you saw a boat?".
Now while Ram would all this while have been 'sure' that he saw a boat, now he can be doubtful. He might think , "Yes, The advocate is right. It was the late evening, there was some darkness. It is indeed possible that it was a log of wood. Although I am almost sure it was a boat, I cant be completely sure."
So here, Ram suffers from the inadequacies surrounding the pramana, the conditions that rule the pramana. The pramana, the 'eye' itself is in good condition, but there are other obstructing factors, that prevent the pramana from operating in such a manner as to create doubt free knowledge. Or nischaya gnanam.
In general there can be absence of nischaya gnanam due to following inadequacies -
> Inadequacy of pramana
Example would be a cataract in the eye.
> Inadequacy surrounding pramata
LAte evening darkness or perhaps even Ram might be feeling sleepy and is not paying attention
> Inadequacy of prameya
This has to be examined. The prameya is the way it is. If it is a log of wood covered in smoke, and you arent sure of it is a boat, then even then, the best knowledge you can get is that it is 'either a log of wood , or a boat'. So really speaking we do not judge how the prameya should be, so this is not appplicable.
So prama may not take place if there is inadequacy on part of the pramata or the pramana.
In the next post we can see, how this translates into the vedantic context, and what are the types of inadequacies that may obstruct atma gnanam.
What I seek to do, is not to enter any vedantic enquiry, or vedantic context of pramana, rather simply look at the nature of pramana, in ordinary human experience and gain certain understanding of how a pramana works, and later based on that understanding, extend the understanding to the vedantic context.
As we already know, a pramana implies both the presence of pramata (knower) and prameya (known). The knowledge that takes place in the buddhi of the pramata is what we call in sankrit the word for 'knowledge' is prama. So prama is the root word.
When the pramata, prameya and pramana come together, in ideal conditions, prama takes place in the pramatas buddhi. Over here the pramata does not have a choice.
For instance If Ram is standing on the banks of a river, and a boat appears in front. Ram has no choice or control as to the appearance of the boat. Ram was not looking for a boat on the river. But Ram was available with his eyes open, available to 'see' through his 'eyes'. So Ram, is the pramata, the pramana is his eyes, and the prameya is the boat. The prama is that , ' I see a boat'.
Let us examine this simple situation further.
What is it that we would call nischaya gnanam (doubtless knowledge) of the boat?
If the conditions were dark in the evening, it is possible that Ram has mistaken a log of wood for a boat.
On the other hand if Ram were having a cataract in his eyes , in that case also, it is possible that he mistook a log of wood for a boat.
Therefore Ram might have a conviction, that I indeed saw a boat. If this boat was somehow involved in a court case, a murder case near the river, on the exact same time Ram was standing by the river, Ram in that case gets called to the court. The advocate questions him " Mr Ram , it was late in the evening, it was dark, remember you cannot lie in a court of law. Are you sure that you saw a boat?".
Now while Ram would all this while have been 'sure' that he saw a boat, now he can be doubtful. He might think , "Yes, The advocate is right. It was the late evening, there was some darkness. It is indeed possible that it was a log of wood. Although I am almost sure it was a boat, I cant be completely sure."
So here, Ram suffers from the inadequacies surrounding the pramana, the conditions that rule the pramana. The pramana, the 'eye' itself is in good condition, but there are other obstructing factors, that prevent the pramana from operating in such a manner as to create doubt free knowledge. Or nischaya gnanam.
In general there can be absence of nischaya gnanam due to following inadequacies -
> Inadequacy of pramana
Example would be a cataract in the eye.
> Inadequacy surrounding pramata
LAte evening darkness or perhaps even Ram might be feeling sleepy and is not paying attention
> Inadequacy of prameya
This has to be examined. The prameya is the way it is. If it is a log of wood covered in smoke, and you arent sure of it is a boat, then even then, the best knowledge you can get is that it is 'either a log of wood , or a boat'. So really speaking we do not judge how the prameya should be, so this is not appplicable.
So prama may not take place if there is inadequacy on part of the pramata or the pramana.
In the next post we can see, how this translates into the vedantic context, and what are the types of inadequacies that may obstruct atma gnanam.
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