Causality in Early Navya-Nyaya

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

Sasadhara (ca. 14th century), an early Navya-nyaya author, greatly influenced Gangela, and his views are often cited in Gangesa's Tattva-cinta-mani which consolidated the system of Navya-nyāya. The present monograph takes up Saladhara's main work, the Nydya- siddhanta-dipa, in particular the "Cause-ness Chapter" (Kāraṇată- vāda) of this. The monograph consists of two parts. Part One is an analysis of this chapter, Part Two presents an annotated translation of the chapter with an edited Sanskrit text. The detailed references to Part Two will facilitate the reader to understand Sasadhara's and various issues related to causality such as irrelevance (anyathasiddhi) and absence (abhava).

Dr. Toshihiro Wada is a Professor emeritus at Nagoya University, Japan. He received a Ph.D. degree from the University of Poona and a D.Litt. degree from Nagoya University. He published four books and contributed about 90 papers to Journal of Indian Philosophy, Asiatische Studien, Indologica Taurinesia, NSICB: Sambhas, etc.

Deccan College Post-Graduate and Research Institute (Deemed to be University) celebrated its bicentenary on the 6th October 2021 The Publications Committee of the Bicentenary Celebrations had taken a decision to publish about 20 monographs to mark the completion of two hundred years of its existence. Experts were invited from the disciplines of the three departments of the Institute- Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology, Linguistics and Sanskrit Lexicography as well as from Library Science. The quality and range of the areas covered in these publications is reassuring about the continuing research in these areas at the Institute known for its rich and invaluable contributions. The manuscripts from external experts show the trust and faith they have reposed in the intellectual commitment of the university. We are able to put in your hands 14 of the proposed 20 volumes, chosen on grounds of critical peer reviews. I can say in full faith that these monographs reflect the signs of progress and growth of the Institute, and that they convey not only the content, but also the abiding interest of the Institute in the unmixed pursuit of knowledge.

It is a great honour to contribute to the Deccan College Bicentenary Monograph Series. I am particularly grateful to Professor Prasad Joshi, Vice-chancellor (A) of Deccan College Post Graduate and Research Institute, for including my paper in the series. Although I did my dissertation work at the University of Poona (thesis: The Concept of Invariable Concomitance in Navya-Nyaya', 1988), I have had many ties and associations with Deccan College throughout my academic career. The chief examiner for my thesis at the University of Poona was Pandit Shrinivas Shastri, who was affiliated with the Sanskrit Dictionary Project at Deccan College. Pandit Shastri was also the Guru-ji of Professor V.N. Jha, who supervised my Ph.D. research. Professor S.D. Joshi, who encouraged me to complete my thesis during his being the Head of the Department of Sanskrit and Prakrit Languages and the Director of the Centre of Advanced Study in Sanskrit of the University of Poona, joined the Sanskrit Dictionary Project after retirement. I remember visiting him at the College to get advice on the publishing of my first book. For several years during my spring and summer breaks I would visit India and read a Mimámsă text with one of the staff members at the College. Many of my old friends went onto get academic posts at the College. It is in memory of my teachers and friends at the College that I dedicate this paper.

The present monograph consists of two Parts. Part I is a reproduction of Wada (2020c) with revision, and Part II is an English revised version of Wada (2017a) written in Japanese. I would like to thank Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute for permission to reproduce Wada (2020c), and the Association for the Study of Indian Logic in Tokyo for permission to produce the English revised version of Wada (2017a). These two original papers were supported by funding from the Japan Society of the Promoting of Science, Tokyo (a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B) from April 2016 through March 2020: A Study of Indian Thought on Cause and Effect' headed by Prof Hiroshi Marui, Project number 16H03348). In spite of the two Parts being reproduced from the original papers, I hope the reader will enjoy the appearance of these Parts in a new combined format. My thanks are also due to Dr. Charles Pain for correcting my English, and to Dr. Taiki Motomura and Ms. Chikako Satake for their editorial assistance in completing.

**Contents and Sample Pages**