Gunas in Nyaya Shastra (न्यायशास्त्रानुसारेण गुणनिरुपणम्) - Revision history

Chinmay S. Munje: Uploaded Images

2025-06-18T05:32:20Z

Uploaded Images

Chinmay S. Munje at 04:43, 17 June 2025

2025-06-17T04:43:22Z

Show changes

Chinmay S. Munje at 11:27, 4 June 2025

2025-06-04T11:27:57Z

Ckanak93: minor formatting edits

2025-06-04T10:36:00Z

minor formatting edits

Chinmay S. Munje: New article

2025-05-30T15:03:35Z

New article

New page

== Introduction (परिचयः) ==
In this article, the word Nyaya-Shastra is used to refer to both Nyaya and vaisheshika darshanas combined. Although Nyaya and vaisheshika are two different darshanas, or schools of philosophy, they are traditionally studied together under the common title Nyaya-Shastra. Wherein the classification and nature of padartha (elements) are discussed as per vaisheshika darshana, and the classification and nature of pramana (means of valid source of knowledge) are discussed as per the nyaya darshana.

As per the Nyaya-Shastra, the valid knowledge of the seven padarthas leads a person to moksha or final emancipation from the cycle of life and death. <blockquote>धर्मविशेषप्रसूताद् द्रव्यगुणकर्मसामान्यविशेषसमवायानां पदार्थानां साधर्म्यवैधर्म्याभ्यां तत्त्वज्ञानान्निःश्रेयसम् (dharmmaviśeṣaprasūtād dravyaguṇakarmasāmānyaviśeṣasamavāyānāṃ padārthanāṃ sādharmyavaidharmyābhyāṃ tattvajñānānniḥśreyasam)</blockquote>The seven padarthas are dravya (substance), guna (Quality,) karma (Action), samanya (Generality,) vishesha (particularity), samavaya (inherence) and abhava (non-existence). Understanding these categories, along with their similarities and differences, leads to niḥśreyas or highest good.

In this article, we will discuss guna, including its definition according to Nyaya-shastra, its types, subtypes, and other important characteristics as described in introductory texts such as Tarkasangraha and Nyayasiddhantamuktavali.

== Definition (लक्षणम्) ==
Guna is defined in tarkasangraha as follows:<blockquote>द्रव्यकर्मभिन्नत्वे सति सामान्यवान् गुणः (dravyakarmabhinnatve sati sāmānyavān guṇaḥ)</blockquote>The aforementioned definition is composed of two segments:

# dravyakarmabhinnatvam
# samanyavattvam

# dravyakarmabhinnatvam is a segment which differentiates guṇa from dravya and karma. dravya, guna and karma all three are padarthas, and also possess samanya. Due to these similarities, if guna is just defined as samanyavaan, the definition may also apply to dravya and karma resulting in its fallacy called over-application or ativyapti. Thus, the segment dravyakarmabhinnatvam differentiates guna from dravya and karma.
# Samanyavattvam refers to characteristics of possessing samanya or generality. As per the nyaya-shastra, dravya, guna and karma are the elements which possess samanya. So, samanyavattvam is a distinguishing quality of these three elements. If one attempts to define guna with just one segment i.e dravyakarmabhinnatvam, then the definition may apply to all other four padartha which are not guna, but are different from dravya and karma. This again leads to the aforementioned fallacy of over-application or ativyapti. By adding this segment, guna is properly distinguished from the other four padarthas, resulting in effective avoidance of the definitional fallacy.

In brief, guṇa is a padārtha that possesses sāmānya and is different from dravya and karma.

Nyāyasiddhāntamuktāvalī, one of the elementary texts of Nyāyaśāstra states: <blockquote>अथ द्रव्याश्रिता ज्ञेया निर्गुणा निष्क्रिया गुणाः ( atha dravyāśritā jñeyā nirguṇā niṣkriyā guṇāḥ)</blockquote>This implies that guṇas inherently abide in dravya and do not exist independently. Also, neither a guna nor a karma exists within a guna.

We will discuss a detailed classification of these gunas in the next section and discuss how each of these guṇas exists within one or more dravya.

== Classification ==

== Categorization ==

== References ==

@@ Line 102: / Line 102: @@
 ===Samyoga (संयोगः)===
 Samyoga or conjunction is a particular reason, for the cause of usage of terms related to the conjoined substances. It inheres in all dravyas. It is of two types, karmaja samyoga (action-derived conjunction)  and samyogaja samyoga  (conjunction-derived conjunction). It is a avyāpyavṛtti guṇa (quality having non-pervaded occurrence or quality which co-exists with its absence)
 {| class="wikitable"
 |+
 !Karmaja samyoga (action-derived conjunction)
-!Samyogaja samyoga (conjunction-derived conjunction)
+! Samyogaja samyoga (conjunction-derived conjunction)
 |-
-|A conjunction (saṃyoga) that arises from an action (karma) is termed karmaja saṃyoga.
+| A conjunction (saṃyoga) that arises from an action (karma) is termed karmaja saṃyoga.
 When we lift our phone and put it on the desk, the conjunction (saṃyoga) of phone and desk is due to our action (karma).
 |A conjunction that results from another conjunction is known as saṃyogaja saṃyoga.
 When one picks up the phone and puts it on top of the notebook that is already placed on the desk, the phone and the desk are in indirect contact with each other through the notebook.
 |}
-===Vibhaga (विभागः)===
+===Vibhaga (विभागः) ===
 Vibhaga or disjunction is the quality that breaks the conjunction. It inheres in all the nine dravyas. It is also categorised into two karmaja and vibhagaja .
@@ Line 143: / Line 142: @@
 ===Shabda (शब्दः)===
 Shabda (sound) is a quality perceived by the shrotrendriya (the sense organ of hearing, i.e. the ears). it inherently exists only in akasha (space or ether). Shabda is classified into two types — inarticulate sound (dhvanyatmaka) and articulate sound (varnatmaka). Inarticulate sound refers to natural or non-verbal sounds, such as the sound of a bell, whereas all the languages are an example of articulate sound. Further, based on its origin, sound is categorized into three types:
-#Samyogaja — Sound produced by the conjunction of two objects. For  example, the sound produced when hands are clapped.
+# Samyogaja — Sound produced by the conjunction of two objects. For  example, the sound produced when hands are clapped.
 #Vibhagaja— Sound produced by the disjunction of two objects. For example, the cracking sound when a glass is broken into pieces.
 #Shabdaja— Sound generated from a preceding sound. In this case, one sound gives rise to another similar sound, creating a chain of successive sounds.
@@ Line 212: / Line 212: @@
 #Amurtaguna (अमूर्तगुणाः)
 #Murtaamurtaguna (मूर्तामूर्तगुणाः)
-#Anekshratiguna (अनेकाश्रितगुणाः)
+# Anekshratiguna (अनेकाश्रितगुणाः)
 #Ekashritaguna (एकाश्रितगुणाः)
 #Visheshaguna (विशेषगुणाः)
@@ Line 218: / Line 218: @@
 #Dveendriyagrahyaguna (द्वीन्द्रियग्राह्यगुणाः)
 #Ekendriyagrahyaguna (एकेन्द्रियग्राह्यगुणाः)
-#Ateendriyaguna (अतीन्द्रियगुणाः)
+# Ateendriyaguna (अतीन्द्रियगुणाः)
 #Akarangunotpannaguna (अकारणगुणोत्पन्नगुणाः)
 #Karangunotpannaguna (कारणगुणोत्पन्नगुणाः)
@@ Line 242: / Line 242: @@
 #paratvam
 #aparatvam
-#dravatvam
+# dravatvam
-#gurutvam
+# gurutvam
 #sneha
 #vega
@@ Line 322: / Line 322: @@
 #rupa
-#rasa
+# rasa
-#gandha
+# gandha
 #sparsha
 #sneha
@@ Line 404: / Line 404: @@
 #buddhi
 #sukham
-#dukham
+# dukham
 #iccha
 #dvesha

@@ Line 21: / Line 21: @@
 == Classification ==
 == Categorization ==
 == References ==

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-== Introduction (परिचयः) ==
+== परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==
 In this article, the word Nyaya-Shastra is used to refer to both Nyaya and vaisheshika darshanas combined.  Although Nyaya and vaisheshika are two different darshanas, or schools of philosophy, they are traditionally studied together under the common title Nyaya-Shastra. Wherein the classification and nature of padartha (elements) are discussed as per vaisheshika darshana, and the classification and nature of pramana (means of valid source of knowledge) are discussed as per the nyaya darshana.
-As per the Nyaya-Shastra, the valid knowledge of the seven padarthas leads a person to moksha or final emancipation from the cycle of life and death. <blockquote>धर्मविशेषप्रसूताद् द्रव्यगुणकर्मसामान्यविशेषसमवायानां पदार्थानां साधर्म्यवैधर्म्याभ्यां तत्त्वज्ञानान्निःश्रेयसम् (dharmmaviśeṣaprasūtād dravyaguṇakarmasāmānyaviśeṣasamavāyānāṃ padārthanāṃ sādharmyavaidharmyābhyāṃ tattvajñānānniḥśreyasam)</blockquote>The seven padarthas are dravya (substance), guna (Quality,) karma (Action), samanya (Generality,) vishesha (particularity), samavaya (inherence) and abhava (non-existence). Understanding these categories, along with their similarities and differences, leads to niḥśreyas or highest good.
+As per the Nyaya-Shastra, the valid knowledge of the seven padarthas leads a person to moksha or final emancipation from the cycle of life and death. <blockquote>धर्मविशेषप्रसूताद् द्रव्यगुणकर्मसामान्यविशेषसमवायानां पदार्थानां साधर्म्यवैधर्म्याभ्यां तत्त्वज्ञानान्निःश्रेयसम् |
 In this article, we will discuss guna, including its definition according to Nyaya-shastra, its types, subtypes, and other important characteristics as described in introductory texts such as Tarkasangraha and Nyayasiddhantamuktavali.
-== Definition (लक्षणम्) ==
+== लक्षणम् ॥ Definition ==
-Guna is defined in tarkasangraha as follows:<blockquote>द्रव्यकर्मभिन्नत्वे सति सामान्यवान् गुणः (dravyakarmabhinnatve sati sāmānyavān guṇaḥ)</blockquote>The aforementioned definition is composed of two segments:
+Guna is defined in tarkasangraha as follows:<blockquote>द्रव्यकर्मभिन्नत्वे सति सामान्यवान् गुणः | dravyakarmabhinnatve sati sāmānyavān guṇaḥ</blockquote>The aforementioned definition is composed of two segments: dravyakarmabhinnatvam and samanyavattvam
 # dravyakarmabhinnatvam is a segment which differentiates guṇa from dravya and karma. dravya, guna and karma all three are padarthas, and also possess samanya. Due to these similarities, if guna is just defined as samanyavaan, the definition may also apply to dravya and karma resulting in its fallacy called over-application or ativyapti. Thus, the segment dravyakarmabhinnatvam differentiates guna from dravya and karma.
@@ Line 17: / Line 16: @@
 In brief, guṇa is a padārtha that possesses sāmānya and is different from dravya and karma.
-Nyāyasiddhāntamuktāvalī, one of the elementary texts of Nyāyaśāstra states: <blockquote>अथ द्रव्याश्रिता ज्ञेया निर्गुणा निष्क्रिया गुणाः ( atha dravyāśritā jñeyā nirguṇā niṣkriyā guṇāḥ)</blockquote>This implies that guṇas inherently abide in dravya and do not exist independently. Also, neither a guna nor a karma exists within a guna.
+Nyāyasiddhāntamuktāvalī, one of the elementary texts of Nyāyaśāstra states: <blockquote>अथ द्रव्याश्रिता ज्ञेया निर्गुणा निष्क्रिया गुणाः | atha dravyāśritā jñeyā nirguṇā niṣkriyā guṇāḥ</blockquote>This implies that guṇas inherently abide in dravya and do not exist independently. Also, neither a guna nor a karma exists within a guna.
 We will discuss a detailed classification of these gunas in the next section and discuss how each of these guṇas exists within one or more dravya.