Pramaana

We learnt about Pramaa. Let us now understand about Pramaana. It was mentioned that that which is the Karana for Pramaa is Pramaana.

What is Karana? To understand this properly, we should understand the meanings of the words such as Kaarana, Kaaraka and Vyaapaara.

Kaarana: That which is immediately behind and action, and in the absence of which that action does not take place, is called as Kaarana.
For example, in the production of pot, there will be in its immediate past, several factors such as clay, wheel, the shaft that turns the wheel, the potter, Kaala (time), Adrishta (the unseen) etc. Even if one of the above is not there, the pot cannot result. Therefore, all these are considered as Kaaranas.
Kaaranas are if four types.

1. Saadhaarana Kaarana (common cause)
2. Asaadhaarana Kaarana (special cause)
3. Upaadana Kaarana (explained earlier)
4. Nimitta Kaarana (explained earlier)

In the above set of causes (for the pot), aspects such as Kaala and Adrishta have also been considered as Kaaranas. They are Kaaranas not only for the pot, but also for anything and everything in the manifest universe. Thus, they are called as Saadhaarana Kaarana. (common causes).

All causes other than these two (clay to potter) are causes only for the pot. They cannot be causes for say, a knife or an arrow. Therefore, they are considered as special causes for the pot. Thus, those causes that are specific in producing a result are called as Asaadhaarana Kaaranas.

Among the special causes, it is only the clay that remains even after the effect (that is, the pot) is produced. Such causes are called as Upaadaana Kaaranas. Thus, such a cause, which is present before, during and after the result is produced, is called as

Upaadaana Kaarana.
All Asaadhaarana Kaaranas that are not Upaadaana in nature are referred to as Nimitta Kaaranas.

Kaaraka: Just as the factors behind the effect are called as Kaarana, the factor behind the action is called as Kaaraka. What does ‘being behind the action’ mean? It refers to that aspect which actually carries out the action. That is, that which is immediately behind the action.

For example, we say ‘this axe is cutting the crop’. Here, an action, namely cutting of the crop is taking place. Who is doing that? The axe is doing. Is axe alone doing it? No. There is a hand behind it and there is a man behind that hand. All though all the three take part in the action called cutting, it is the axe that is actually doing the cutting. Such a factor is called as ‘Kriyaanirvartaka’.

Vyaapaara: Vyaapaara means transaction. For a result to manifest, many transactions have to take place. For example, for the pot to manifest, several transactions have to take place. The wheel has to turn. Here, the turning of the wheel should also be included in the list of Kaaranas. But, this is present hidden in the Asaadhaarana Kaarana group. It does not have independent existence. That transaction which is dependent on one of the Asaadhaarana Kaaranas and behaves as a cause is called as Vyaapaara.

In the above illustration, the wheel is one of the specific causes for the pot. The transaction called turning is dependent on it. In other words, the turning takes place only in the pot. This transaction of turning also takes part in the production of the pot. Here the transaction called turning is referred to as ‘Vyaapaara’.
That transaction which takes birth along from an Asaadhaarana Kaarana, and takes part along with it in the production of the end result (thus acting as a cause itself) is called as Vyaapaara.

Karana: For any Kaarya (effect) to manifest, it is not enough if all the causes are present. In order to produce the result, at least some of them should work or transact. That which carries out the transaction is called the Karana. In the above illustration, the wheel is the Karana.

If this concept can be presented in the form of a definition as follows:
In the production of a Kaarya (effect), the cause that transacts is called Karana.
All this discussion came up while defining the term Pramaa. It was said that that which is the Karana for Pramaa is Pramaana. That is, among the various specific causes present in producing correct perception, that which has transaction is called Pramaana.

For example, assume that we see a beautiful tree and develop liking for it. Here, both the eyes and the light are the causes for the liking. The light does not do anything. The eye, on the other hand, does the transaction called seeing. Therefore, for the liking the eyes serve as the Karanas. Therefore, the eyes are considered as Pramaana.

How many Pramaanas are there? Different scholars have given different opinions. Let us discuss about them later.

(to be continued)