[Advaita-l] definition and criteria of Truth

subhanu saxena subhanu at hotmail.com
Sun Aug 1 18:54:58 CDT 2010


V. Subramaniam wrote:“I am not readily able to trace the Bhashyam sentences where the Acharya
talks about the Truth as free from these three criteria in one place.”
 
Namaste, we find these 3 mentioned in the same place in īśāvāsyopaniṣad bhāṣyam 18. 
 
I suspect what Guy is referring to are the 3 criteria that have their roots in nyāya-vaisheṣika regarding the valid cognition of truth, namely conformity with the object (sārūpya), the competence to lead to fruitful action (samartha-pravritti-janakatva) and coherence  with other established truths (samvādi). There is an echo of this in BUB I.iv.14
 
The Vedanta tradition has added that it cannot be sublated or contradicted (viz Panchadasi III.29 Satyatvaṁ bādha-rāhityaṁ jagad-bādhaika-sākṣiṇaḥ, bādhaḥ kiṁ-sākṣiko brūhi na tva-sākṣika iṣyate .That which cannot be contradicted in the three periods of time can be regarded as Truth, Vedanta paribhāṣā 1 abādhitārthaviṣayajnānatvam). As per Shankara the anvaya is that which is immutable, ever unchanging, is satyam and the vyatireka is that which undergoes modification is anritam. Vide BGB II.16 yad-viṣayā buddhir na vyabhicarati, tat sat | yad-viṣayā vyabhicarati, tad asat. I believe Citsukha in tattva-pradipika has also commented on this and maybe list members can provide the references
Regards
Subhanu 		 	   		  


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