[Advaita-l] anumAna-pramANa

[Sudhanshu Shekhar]

Hari Om AchArya ji.

I had the understanding that anumAna-pramANa is defined (by VedAnta
ParibhAshA) to be identical to vyApti-jnAna.

So, by seeing smoke, I get an anumiti-pramA of fire. That is, by
smoke-jnAna, I get anumiti-pramA, namely fire-jnAna. The anumAna-pramANa
here is defined to be vyApti-jnAna. That is, the jnAna "wherever there is
smoke (sAdhana), there is fire (sAdhya)".

However, the siddhAnta position is different: anumAna-pramANa is
"sAdhana-jnAna-coupled-with-vyApti-samskAra". So, in the past, when I had
vyApti-jnAna, I got a samskAra. When I get smoke-jnAna, that coupled with
vyApti-samskAra, gives rise to anumiti-pramA i.e. fire-jnAna directly,
without any intermediary. There is no need for even vyApti-smriti.

Therefore, the anumiti-karaNa is sAdhana-jnAna-coupled-with-vyApti-samskAra
i.e. व्याप्ति-संस्कार-सहित-लिङ्गदर्शन.

The view "vyApti-jnAna is anumiti-karaNa" is not accepted as vyApti-jnAna
is not at all a kAraNa. Hence, it cannot be karaNa either.

I am in awe of VivaraNa. Hence, I find it an important point to be noted
and deliberated upon.

Regards.
Sudhansbu Shekhar.