Vedarthasangraha of Ramanuja - 28 Nirvikalpaka prathyaksham

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28.savisesha only in Nirvikalpaka

prathyaksha

 

nirvikalpaka prathyakshe api savikalpameva vasthu pratheeyathe, anyaThaa

savikalpake soayam ithi poorva avagatha prakaaraviSishta prathyaya

anupapattheH, vasthu samsThaana viSesharoopathvaath gothvaadheH nirvikalpadhaSaayaam

api samsThaanam eva vasthu ithTham ithi pratheeyathe, dhvitheeyaadhiprathyayeshu

thasya eva samsThaanaviSeshasya anekavasthunishTathaamaathram

pratheeyathe,samsThaanaroopa prakaaraakhyasya padhaarThasya aneka vasthu nishTathayaa

anekavasthu viSeshanathvam dhvitheeyaadhiprathyaya avagamyam ithi

dhvitheeyaadhi prathyayaaH savikalpakaa ithyuchyanthe.

 

Ramanuja proves

that there could be no such thing as nirvikalpaka prathyaksha, indeterminate perception.

 

He says,

 

nirvikalpaka prathyakshe api savikalpameva vasthu pratheeyathe, anyaThaa

savikalpake soayam ithi poorva avagatha prakaaraviSishta prathyaya anupapattheH

 

Even in

indeterminate perception only an entity with attributes is perceived. Otherwise

there can be no knowledge later that the entity is the one perceived earlier.

 

nirvikalapa prathyaksha, indeterminate perception means the perception of an entity as something

without differentiations. But Ramanuja says that it is not possible to perceive

something without any characaterisitcs. He explains it further as follows.

 

 

vasthu samsThaana viSesharoopathvaath gothvaadheH nirvikalpadhaSaayaam api

samsThaanam eva vasthu ithTham ithi pratheeyathe,

 

The

characterisitics like `cowness' is the inherent nature of the object cow. The

indeterminate perception is stated as the awareness of an entity without its

special features as in the perception `this exists as such.' Hence in the

indeterminate perception also the entity is known as the one with the charater

of `itTham,' meaning `as such.'

 

dhvitheeyaadhiprathyayeshu thasya eva samsThaanaviSeshasya

anekavasthunishTathaamaathram pratheeyathe,

 

The second and

other perceptions result in the cognition of the generic characteristics

similar to the class to which the entity belongs, such as cowness.The

characterisitic feature perceived is cognized as that which belongs to several

entities, that is, cows.

 

 

samsThaanaroopa prakaaraakhyasya padhaarThasya aneka vasthu nishTathayaa

anekavasthu viSeshaNathvam dhvitheeyaadhiprathyaya avagamyam ithi

dhvitheeyaadhi prathyayaaH savikalpakaa ithyuchyanthe.

 

The second and

later perceptions are termed as

savikalpaka, determinate, because the characterisitics belonging to many of the

same class of objects like cowness , the special features of the form such as

horns, dewlap etc. are perceived in succession.

 

In respect to

Brahman this can be explained as follows. By those who advocate that Brahman is

undifferentiated, it is said that the perception of Brahman when avidya is

removed is nirvikalpaka . That is, Brahman is perceived as bereft of all

characteristics, nirguna, being pure knowledge. But Ramanuja has shown earlier

that all knowledge is of differentiated entity only. Here he reiterates the

same saying that any knowledge that arises from perception of a thing is only

in the form `idham itTham,' "this is of

this character." The word idham denotes the entity and itTham denotes the character. Even to say `this is undifferentiated'

is a statement that falls under this category,. Idham itTham, `this ,idham, is, itTham,of this character' which means here `without differentiation.'

Thus in nirvikalpakaprathyaksha of Brahman, the reality, idham, shines as it were, itTham.

 

In nyaya sastra

nirvikalpaka prathyksha is defined as praThamapindagrahaNam, perception of an entity for the first time, without perceiving its

characterisitics , and not the perception of an entity which has no

characterisitics. The subsequent perception is called savikalpaka when the characterisitics such as jathi, the similarity with other entities of its kind

and other subsequent perceptions are of the characteristics of the individual

entity, such as the form and limbs of the cow etc. Hence even in nirvikalpaka

prathyaksha some entity is cognized without the cognition of its diffferentiation

and not without differentiation.

 

 

atha eva ekasya padhaarThasya bhinnaabhinnaroopeNa dhvayaathmakathvam

virudDham prthyuktham. samsThaanasya samsThaaninaH prakaarathayaa

padhaarthaantharathvam, prakaarathvaadheva

prThak sidDhi anarhathvam prThak upalambhaScha ithi na dhvayaathmakathva

sidDhiH.

 

 

Ramanuja here refutes the view of maintaining both identity and

difference (bhedhaabhedha). The criticism

of bhedhaabhedha vadha school is dealt with in detail later.Here he simply denies

the possibility of identity and difference of things in general.He says,

 

atha eva ekasya padhaarThasya bhinnaabhinnaroopeNa dhvayaathmakathvam

virudDham prthyuktham

 

Therefore even

the view of identity and difference of the same reality is self contradicting.

 

samsThaanasya samsThaaninaH prakaarathayaa padhaarthaantharathvam, prakaarathvaadheva prThak sidDhi anarhathvam prThak

upalambhaScha ithi na dhvayaathmakathva sidDhiH.

 

The particular form

of the entity is its prakaara, special property and hence not diffferent from it. It does not exist nor

cognized separately. Herefore the twofold interpretation of identity and difference

with respect to Brahman stands rejected.