Hypothesis-Generating Logic in Udayana’s Rational Theology

Journal of Indian Philosophy volume 39, pages503–520(2011)Cite this article

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to clarify Udayana’s logic in his theistic monograph Nyāyakusumāñjali, especially in the second chapter where he postulates as conclusion the existence of God. In the course of this postulation, Udayana gives as its reason such Nyāya theories as the extrinsic validity of cognition (*parataḥprāmāṇya) and the creation and dissolution of the world (*sargapralaya). The present paper first focuses on the argument over the creation and dissolution of the world, clarifying whether Udayana asserts its necessary occurrence or just its possibility. It then analyzes the precise logic of Udayana that generates the theistic hypothesis, comparing it with a logic called abduction which is put forward by Charles Peirce.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution.

We’re sorry, something doesn't seem to be working properly.

Please try refreshing the page. If that doesn't work, please contact support so we can address the problem.

Abbreviations

NKus (C):

Nyāyakusumāñjali of Udayanācārya with Four Commentaries, Pt. Śrī Padmaprasāda Upādhyāya & Pt. Śrī Dhuṇḍhirāja Śāstrī (ed.), Kashi Sanskrit Series 30, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, Varanasi, 1957

(D):

NKus with the Commentaries Āmoda, Viveka, Bodhanī and Parimala, Dr. Mahaprabhulal Goswami (ed.), Mithila Institute Series, Mithila Research Institute, Darbhanga, 1972

NkusBo:

Bodhanī of Varadarāja, see NKus(D)

NkusViv:

Viveka of Guṇānanda, see NKus(D)

SDS:

Sarvadarśanasaṃgraha of Sāyaṇa Mādhava, Mahāmahopādhyāya Vasudev Shastri Abhyankar (ed.), Government Oriental Series Class A No. 1, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona, 1978

CP:

see Peirce (1931–1958)

Prop. Eleg.:

see Propertius (1857)

References

  1. Bhattacharya, D. C. (1958). History of Navya-Nyāya in Mithilā. Darbhanga: Mithilā Institute of Post-Graduate Studies and Research in Sanskrit Learning.

  2. Butler, H. E. (1912). Propertius: With an English translation. The Loeb Classical Library No. 18. London/New York: William Heinemann/The Macmillan Co.

  3. Chemparathy G. (1972) An Indian rational theology: An introduction to Udayana’s Nyāyakusumāñjali. Publications of the De Nobili Research Library, Vienna

    Google Scholar 

  4. Cowell E.B. (1864) The Kusumanjali: Hindu proof of the existence of a supreme being. Baptist Mission Press, Calcutta

    Google Scholar 

  5. Delaney C.F. (1992) Peirce on the hypothesis of god. Transactions of the Charles S. Peirce Society 28(4): 725–739

    Google Scholar 

  6. Fann K.T. (1970) Peirce’s theory of abduction. Martinus Nijhoff, The Hague

    Google Scholar 

  7. Hanson, N. R. (1958). Patterns of discovery: An inquiry into the conceptual foundations of science. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

  8. Hanson, N. R. (1959). Is there a logic of scientific discovery?” In H. Feigl & G. Maxwell (Eds.), Current issues in the philosophy of science (pp. 20–35). New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

  9. Kataoka, K. (片岡 啓) (1999). Virodha in arthāpatti. Studies of Buddhist Culture, 3, 47–67 (in Japanese).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Kaviraj, G. (1923). Nyāya Kusumāñjali. The Princess of Wales Sarasvati Bhavana Studies, II, 159–191 (English translation).

  11. Kessler, G. E. (1998). A neglected argument. In Proceedings of the XX world congress of philosophy. http://as111.http.sasm3.net/wcp/Papers/Reli/ReliKess.ht.

  12. Kuppuswami, S. (1932). A primer of Indian logic: According to Annaṃbhaṭṭa’s Tarkasaṃgraha. Madras: Kuppuswami Sastri Research Institute (1951, 2nd ed.).

  13. Paavola S. (2006) Hansonian and Harmanian abduction as models of discovery. International Studies in the Philosophy of Science 20(1): 93–108

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. Peirce, C. S. (1931–1958). In C. Hartshorne & P. Weiss (Eds.) (Vols. 1–6); A. W. Burks (Ed.) (Vols.7–8), Collected papers of Charles Sanders Peirce. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.

  15. Propertius, S. (1857). In H. Keil (Ed.), Elegiae. Lipsiae: Sumptibus et typis B.G. Teubneri.

  16. Shida, T. (2006). On the causal factor for validity at the origination of cognition: What are the guṇa and the general cause of cognition in Naiyāyikas’ parataḥprāmāṇyavāda? Journal of Indological Studies, 18, 115–136.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Shida T. (2007) Udayana’s critique of the intrinsic theory of validity: With respect to the origination of validity. Journal of Indian and Buddhist Studies 55(3): 28–33

    Google Scholar 

  18. Sinha, B. (1999). Nyāyakusumāñjali, Hindu rational enquiry into the existence of god: Interpretative exposition of Udayanācārya’s auto-commentary with translation of kārikās. New Delhi: Aryan Books International.

  19. Taber, J. (1992). What did Kumārila Bhaṭṭa mean by Svataḥ Prāmāṇya? Journal of the American Oriental Society, 112(2), 204–221.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Thakur, A. (1974). Udayanācārya and his contribution. In S. K. Chatterji, et al. (Ed.), Charudeva Shastri felicitation volume (pp. 400–406). Delhi: Amar Printing Press.

  21. Ueyama, S. (上山 春平) (1978). Peirce’s theory of abduction. The Zinbun Gakuhō, Journal of Humanistic Studies, Studies of the History of European Logical Thoughts, 45, 103–155 (in Japanese).

  22. Yonemori, Y. (米盛 裕二) (2007). *Abduction: Logic of hypothesis and discovery. Tokyo: Keisō Shobō (in Japanese).

Download references

Author information

Affiliations

  1. Young Researcher Development Center (The Hakubi Center), Kyoto University, Yoshida-Ushinomiyacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto, 606-8501, Japan

    Taisei Shida

Authors
  1. Taisei Shida
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Taisei Shida.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Shida, T. Hypothesis-Generating Logic in Udayana’s Rational Theology. J Indian Philos 39, 503–520 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10781-011-9144-x

Download citation

Keywords

  • Nyāyakusumāñjali
  • Udayana
  • Creation and dissolution of the world
  • Abduction
  • C. S. Peirce