प्रमाणम् - pramāṇa
About Śabdayoga
Blog author Jayaraman Mahadevan
प्रमाणम् - pramāṇa
Etymology
प्र+माङ् +ल्युट् = प्रमाणम्
pra+māṅ +lyuṭ = pramāṇam
- pra is the prefix, contextually the word here means - to a great extent ( प्रकर्ष - intensity)
- māṅ is root that means माने māne– to measure
- lyut is the suffix that indicates instrumentality. This suffix is added based on s grammatical rule करणाधिकरणयोश्च karaṇādhikaraṇayośca (aṣṭādhyāyī 3.3.117).
Video of the discussion on pramāṇam
Lexicon
There is one reference in the Amarakośa for the word-
प्रमाणं हेतुमर्यादाशास्त्रेयत्ताप्रमातृषु
pramāṇaṃ hetumaryādāśāstreyattāpramātṛṣu (3.3.54)
The word Pramāṇa is used to indicate the following meanings – cause, limit, śāstra, quantity, the perceiver.
Textual occurrences
Yogasūtra
There are three references to Pramāṇa in this text.
The first two usages are in the successive sūtras of chapter 1 -
- प्रमाणविपर्ययविकल्पनिद्रास्मृतय ॥ १.६॥ - pramāṇaviparyayavikalpanidrāsmṛtaya .. 1.6..- There are five types of vṛttis/knowlege viz – right/valid knowledge(pramāṇa), wrong knowledge, imagination, deep sleep and memory.
- प्रत्यक्षानुमानागमाः प्रमाणानि ॥१.७॥ - pratyakṣānumānāgamāḥ pramāṇāni ..1.7.. - There are three ways to attain valid knowledge (pramāṇa) – direct perception, inference and verbal testimony.
It is interesting to note that in the first sūtra the word Pramāṇa points to valid knowledge and in the second instance it indicates means of valid knowledge.
The third reference is from the final chapter of this text -
- न चैकचित्ततन्त्रं वस्तु तदप्रमाणकं तदा किं स्यात् ॥ ४.१६ ॥ -
na caikacittatantraṃ vastu tadapramāṇakaṃ tadā kiṃ syāt .. 4.16 .. - This reference is in the context of discussion on the real existence of the world, independent of the mind. The word apramāṇaka is used here as opposite to the word Pramāṇa. The sūtra states - the object (outside) is not dependent on one mind. (Because) what would it be, when not cognized (apramāṇaka) by that one mind?
To explain – Vijñānavādins (a division of Buddhists) are of the view that all existence is based on the knowledge within. Nothing outside exists independently of the various minds that perceive. It has been established in the preceding sūtra (4.15) that this view is wrong. The different minds do not create objects; objects have independent existence. As a rejoinder the Vijñānavādins might state that let the world not be the visualization of many minds. Let it be the visualization of one mind. The above Sūtra (4.16) is the answer to the above possibility that might be posited by the Vijñānavādins.
Bhagavadgītā
There are just two references to this word in this text. In both the references it could be noted that the word Pramāṇa is used to indicate authority.
- यद्यदाचरति श्रेष्ठस्तत्तदेवेतरो जनः ।
स यत्प्रमाणं कुरुते लोकस्तदनुवर्तते ॥ ३.२१ ॥
yadyadācarati śreṣṭhastattadevetaro janaḥ .
sa yatpramāṇaṃ kurute lokastadanuvartate .. 3.21 .. - Whatever is done by great people, others do the same. Whatever is upheld as an authority by great people, others follow(and accept it).
- तस्माच्छास्त्रं प्रमाणं ते कार्याकार्यव्यवस्थितौ ।
ज्ञात्वा शास्त्रविधानोक्तं कर्म कर्तुमिहार्हसि ॥ १६.२४ ॥
tasmācchāstraṃ pramāṇaṃ te kāryākāryavyavasthitau .
jñātvā śāstravidhānoktaṃ karma kartumihārhasi .. 16.24 .. - Śāstra is desribed as a pramāṇa – as an authority – in deciding the do’s and donts.
Haṭhayogapradīpikā
There is a lonely reference to this word here. It is in the context of specifying the place for practice of Haṭhayoga. The verse on that is as follows
धनुः प्रमाणपर्यन्तं शिलाग्निजलवर्जिते ।
एकान्ते मठिकामध्ये स्थातव्यं हठयोगिना ॥ १.१२॥
dhanuḥ pramāṇaparyantaṃ śilāgnijalavarjite .
ekānte maṭhikāmadhye sthātavyaṃ haṭhayoginā .. 1.12.. - It is interesting to note that the word pramāṇa is used to mean iyattā – the measure/this much. The hermitage that is to be established by the Haṭhayogin should be away from the rocks, fire and water to a mesure of a Dhanus. (One Dhanus[1] is four hastas. One hasta is of a measure of 18 inches[2])
Observations
In fine, based on the textual occurances it can be seen that the word pramāṇa -
- in yogasūtra refers to valid knowledge and means to it.
- in Bhagavadgītā it refers to an authority and
- in Haṭhayogapradīpikā it means measure.
Comments
Post a Comment