[Advaita-l] Scholarly Article on Why Vedas are Valid

[श्रीमल्ललितालालितः]

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On Wed, Oct 12, 2011 at 21:41, Rajaram Venkataramani
<rajaramvenk at gmail.com>wrote:

> It is easy - sort of of - to
> establish pratyaksha and anumana as pramanas.


I don't think so.
As long as you have faith(as is of a specific poster) because of habitual
use of eyes, etc., you feel like this.
As soon as you go to determine definition of pramANa, you start feeling
difficulties in establishing eyes, etc. as pramANa-s.

Empiricism relies on
> observation of facts about the external world and logical inference.


That's where it's a faith-system.
The observation on which this Empiricism relies is to be attacked first. Why
should we consider that observations are correct ? Why are you so faithful ?

Repetition is not a way to determine validity of observations. Even wrong
things are seen to be repeated and right ones neglected.


> For
> objects that cannot be seen with naked senses (e.g. electrons), one can
> come
> up with a hypothesis which can be validated through experimentation
> (observation) and it becomes a theory.


I don't think that hypothesis comes first, i.e. without or prior to
observations.


> We can build on theories to come up
> with complex theories.
>

True for our system too.


> Now, there are unseen entities (devas, isvara, results of karma, other
> worlds etc.).


Unseen = Not experienced by eyes only ?
Then count smell, sound, softness, etc. too. Why are you going so far to
deva-s, etc.


> The existence of these and theories about them are based on
> Vedas, which have been accepted as axiomatic truths.


What do you say about existence of smell, etc. ? And theories based on them
?


> I am less concerned
> about apaureshyatvam or anaditvam of the Vedas.


For now it's OK. It's not needed at present.


> I am concerned with
>
> How do we logically establish?
>

Remove "logically". Logic is not needed to determine colors, etc. Eyes, etc.
are enough. Logic comes to support when one gets doubt about them.


>   1. There are super-sensuous entities such as the Devas
>

As we establish entities as smell, etc.


>   2. Vedas are pramana for studying these super-sensuous objects
>

As we establish nose, etc. as pramANa-s for smell, etc.