method for teaching Tarka

[Swami Karunakarananda Maharaj]

Respected Scholars,
Is Nyaya Shastra for only those who hold total grip on the language they use? Without knowing Sanskrit, is it possible to teach Nyaya to students who are interested?
More specifically, can one teach Nyaya in regional languages without using their terminology of अवच्छेदक , अवच्छिन्न, प्रतियोगि etc?



नारायणस्मृतिः

स्वामी करुणाकरानन्दपुरी

[Narsing Rao]

I believe this should be possible using terminology in Philosophy and Logic in the language of choice, assuming that it has sufficient expressive power.  For example, in English, we would use the following terms:

Means of knowledge (प्रमाण), Objects of knowledge (प्रमेय),  Discussion (वाद) , Parts of syllogism (अवयव), Examination of other doctrines (अन्यतम परीक्षा) , Proposition (प्रतिज्ञा) ,  Reason or Condition (हेतु) , Example (उदाहरणम्), Application (उपनयः),  Conclusion (निगमनम्), Predicated, Discriminated, or Particularized (अवच्छिन्न) and so on.

Similarly, the न्यायसूत्राणि can be expressed in any language

१.१.३३ साध्यनिर्देशः प्रतिज्ञा - Proposition is the statement for which the truth needs to be ascertained

Terminology may be to be invented if there is no corresponding term in the target language (for example, निःश्रेयस्  or अपवर्ग).  It's much easier in Indian languages since many Sanskrit words can be used directly.

I am not an expert in Nyaya, and not sure if this is what you meant.

Regards,
Narsing Rao

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[narayanan er]

Respected Swamiji,

Namaste. I feel that the fundamentals of Nyaya could be taught in regional languages too but for only a limited extent. For instance, we are not seeing many a number of अवच्छेदक , अवच्छिन्न, प्रतियोगि and अनुयोगि etc. in the fundamental texts like the Tarkasangraha, Karikavali and Muktavali. When we move on to Dinakari and Ramarudri we see all these in plenty. But on the other hand once one starts to learn Tarkasangraha, Karikavali and Muktavali in traditional way with a bit of grip over Sanskrit which could yield more prosperous result than avoiding Sanskrit terminologies. Once one thinks to grow upto understand Dinakari, after having the Muktavali is being understood through any regional dialect, then he has to make a grip over Sanskrit and these Nyaya terminologies; and not only that Nyaya is not only for Nyaya, but for the other Sastras too. Majority of commentary works with higher information use Nyaya terms to establish their theories authentic, and using grammatically sound usages too. Once we skip an established idiom for convenience, then there should be the consequence too. This is what happening to Sanskrit language learning too, when one learns through local dialect. Initially it could be tolerated to have at least a काव्यव्युत्पत्तिः, but when you turn on to the Sastras you need traditional terminology in Sanskrit and the idiom of the concerned Sastras. All those terminologies of  अवच्छेदक , अवच्छिन्न, प्रतियोगि and अनुयोगि etc. could be taught by understanding their functions but to be explained with extra effort in regional dialects. In higher education of any Sastra you cannot compromise with the traditional terminology as their significance are explained in corresponding idiom only. Scholars understands the Nyaya concept through Sanskrit and concerned idiom, then they try in regional dialect for convenient communication. It could be make successful, but it is up to capacity of eminent Naiyayikas like you who can converse both in Sanskrit and Kannada. But problem only could be solved when you see substitutes for the lakshana-s of these terminologies of अवच्छेदक , अवच्छिन्न, प्रतियोगि and अनुयोगि etc. But one learns the Tarkasangraha only he could have it even with the regional dialects. We have the results of translations and explanations in English by Mahamahopadhyaya Ganganath Jha to several Nyaya and Vaiseshika texts. These are exceptions. To follow the right way understanding one has to look into the original Sanskrit too. This is my humble opinion, still I am not an expert of any of these Sastras.

Regards,

Narayanan 

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From: Swami Karunakarananda Maharaj <swamikarun...@gmail.com>
To: bvpar...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, 10 December 2012 11:44 AM
Subject: {भारतीयविद्वत्परिषत्} method for teaching Tarka

[Hnbhat B.R.]

I don't think there is no problem in the question, in so far as the Teacher नैयायिक, is capable of expressing himself and transferring his talent to his students, the media of instruction of little significance.

 "श्लिष्टा क्रिया कस्यचिदात्मसंस्था संक्रान्तिरन्यस्य विशेषयुक्ता। यस्योभयं साधु स शिक्षकाणां धुरि प्रतिष्ठापयितव्य एव।।"

according to Kalidasa. The same, on the other side,

पात्रविशेषे न्यस्तं गुणान्तरं व्रजाति शिल्पमाधातुः । 

जलमिव समुद्रशुक्तौ मुक्ताफलतां पयोदस्य ॥ 

it depends on the capacity of the student to reflect whatever he receives from the teacher qualified as above. In both these cases combined, the language of instruction is guided by the teacher and the student both. 

And the reverse, भवभूति exclaimed -\

वितरति गुरु: प्राज्ञे विद्यां यथैव तथा जडे न तु तयोः ज्ञाने वृद्धिं  करोत्यपहन्ति वा |

भवति च पुन: भूयान् भेद: फलं प्रति तद् यथा प्रभवति शुचि: बिम्बग्राहे मणिः न् मृदां चय: ||

according to his scholastic view.

Now a days, as Panini has said, according to

"तदधीते तद्वेद"(॥ ४।२।५८)

one who is learning (अधीते) व्याकरण and one who already know (वेद), both would be called by the name वैयाकरण, so नैयायिक-s can be both who can read from translations and also who already have known inside and outside also would be called नैयायिक-s and both profess to teach in the language they can, as Sri Narasing Rao has already claimed.\

Hence I think there is no point in prolonging the discussion how the subject न्यायशास्त्र is to be taught using which media. 

I remember, there was a general discussion about teaching Sanskrit through Sanskrit media some time ago. I don't know why this discussion about the subject in the language "Sanskrit" is concerned. Subject is different from the language in which the literature is available.

अवच्छेदक,अवच्छिन्न have their own concepts and theories behind them more than mere terminologies and without mastery over the concepts and theories behind them, practical usage of the terms may not be possible, in any language for the purpose of teaching as described in the beginning of this message.

The remaining is left to नैयायिक-s  of the group.

[Ajit Gargeshwari]

Namaste ,

To answer with a direct reply. It is a clear NO. No one can understand Navya Nyaya without knowing Sanskrit.

अवच्छेदक , अवच्छिन्न, प्रतियोगि

The above words are the basics of Navya Nyaya

"How can anyone teach without explaining these concepts?"

You are asking this questions without knowing what is Navya Nyaya

Dr Bhat is speaking in his domain as a Gramarian. Dr Narayan has tried to partially answer you question

So here is the bottom line

Learn Navya Nyaya and the ask question. Navya Nyaya terms are untranslatable in other words you cannot translate the though a few attempts by Prof. Ingalls and others.
Regards
Ajit