Tarka Shastra (,

IAST The International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST) is a transliteration scheme that allows the lossless romanisation of Brahmic family, Indic scripts as employed by Sanskrit and related Indic languages. It is based on a scheme that ...

: ) is a

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...

term for the philosophy of

dialectics Dialectic (; ), also known as the dialectical method, refers originally to dialogue between people holding different points of view about a subject but wishing to arrive at the truth through reasoned argument. Dialectic resembles debate, but the ...

logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the study of deductively valid inferences or logical truths. It examines how conclusions follow from premises based on the structure o ...

and

reasoning Reason is the capacity of consciously applying logic by drawing valid conclusions from new or existing information, with the aim of seeking the truth. It is associated with such characteristically human activities as philosophy, religion, scien ...

, and art of

debate Debate is a process that involves formal discourse, discussion, and oral addresses on a particular topic or collection of topics, often with a moderator and an audience. In a debate, arguments are put forward for opposing viewpoints. Historica ...

that analyzes the nature and source of

knowledge Knowledge is an Declarative knowledge, awareness of facts, a Knowledge by acquaintance, familiarity with individuals and situations, or a Procedural knowledge, practical skill. Knowledge of facts, also called propositional knowledge, is oft ...

and its validity. ''

Shastra ''Śāstra'' ( ) is a Sanskrit word that means "precept, rules, manual, compendium, book or treatise" in a general sense.Monier Williams, Monier Williams' Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Article on 'zAstra'' The word is ge ...

'' in Sanskrit means that which gives teaching, instruction or command. ''Tarka'' means debate or an

argument An argument is a series of sentences, statements, or propositions some of which are called premises and one is the conclusion. The purpose of an argument is to give reasons for one's conclusion via justification, explanation, and/or persu ...

. According to one reckoning, there are six shastras.

Vyākaraṇa ''Vyākaraṇa'' (, ) refers to one of the six ancient Vedangas, ancillary science connected with the Vedas, which are scriptures in Hinduism.James Lochtefeld (2002), "Vyakarana" in ''The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Hinduism'', Vol. 2: N-Z, Rosen ...

is one of them. Four of the shastras are particularly important:

Mīmāṃsā ''Mīmāṁsā'' (Sanskrit: मीमांसा; IAST: Mīmāṃsā) is a Sanskrit word that means "reflection" or "critical investigation" and thus refers to a tradition of contemplation which reflected on the meanings of certain Vedic tex ...

, Tarka, and

Vedanta ''Vedanta'' (; , ), also known as ''Uttara Mīmāṃsā'', is one of the six orthodox (Āstika and nāstika, ''āstika'') traditions of Hindu philosophy and textual exegesis. The word ''Vedanta'' means 'conclusion of the Vedas', and encompa ...

. Tarka shastra has concepts called ''

purva paksha Pūrva paksha (Sanskrit: पूर्वपक्ष), sometimes also transliterated as Poorva paksha, literally means ''former view/position''. It is a tradition in the debates of Indian Logicians. It involves building a deep familiarity with ...

'' and ''apara paksha''. When one raises a point (purva paksha) the other party criticizes it (apara paksha). Then the debate starts. Each one tries to support his point of view by getting various references. The meaning of the word ''tarka'' also is specific, in that it does not imply a pure logical analysis but a complex activity of discourse guided by strict definitions and goals. ''

Tarka-Sangraha Tarka-Sangraha (IAST: ''Tarka-saṅgraha'') is a treatise in Sanskrit giving a foundational exposition of the Indian system of logic and reasoning. The work is authored by Annambhatta and the author himself has given a detailed commentary, calle ...

'' is a foundational text followed as guidelines for logic and discourse ever since it was composed in the second half of 17th century CE. ''Tarka'' may be translated as "hypothetical argument". Tarka is the process of questioning and cross-questioning that leads to a particular conclusion. It is a form of supposition that can be used as an aid to the attainment of valid knowledge. There are several scholars renowned as well-versed in Tarka shastra:

Adi Shankara Adi Shankara (8th c. CE), also called Adi Shankaracharya (, ), was an Indian Vedanga, Vedic scholar, Hindu philosophy, philosopher and teacher (''acharya'') of Advaita Vedanta. Reliable information on Shankara's actual life is scant, and h ...

(sixth century CE), Udyotakara (''Nyāyavārttika'', 6th–7th century),

Vācaspati Miśra Vachaspati (' "lord of Vāc (speech)") is a Rigvedic deity presiding over human life. The name is applied especially to Brhaspati, the lord of eloquence, but also to Soma, Vishvakarman and Prajapati. Rigvedic deities Sanskrit poet ...

(''Tatparyatika'', 9th century),

Ramanujacharya Ramanuja ('; Middle Tamil: Rāmāṉujam; Classical Sanskrit: Rāmānuja; 1077 – 1157), also known as Ramanujacharya, was an Indian Hindu philosopher, guru and social reformer. He is one of the most important exponents of the Sri Vaishnavi ...

(9th century),

Udayanacharya Udayana, (Devanagari: उदयन) also known as Udayanācārya (Udyanacharya, or Master Udayana), (circa 975 - 1050 CE) was an Indian philosopher and logician of the tenth century of the Nyaya school who attempted to devise a rational theolog ...

(''Tātparyaparishuddhi'', 10th century),

Jayanta Bhatta Jayanta Bhatta ( CE – CE) was a poet, teacher, logician, and an advisor to King Sankaravarman of Kashmir. He was a philosopher of the Nyaya school of Hindu philosophy. He authored three works on Nyaya, Nyāya philosophy: one of which is not ...

(''Nyāyamanjari'', 9th century),

Madhvacharya Madhvacharya (; ; 1199–1278 CE or 1238–1317 CE), also known as Purna Prajna () and Ānanda Tīrtha, was an Indian philosopher, theologian and the chief proponent of the ''Dvaita'' (dualism) school of Vedanta. Madhva called his philosophy ...

(13th century), Visvanatha (''Nyāyasūtravṛtti'', 17th century), Rādhāmohana Gosvāmī (''Nyāyasūtravivarana'', 18th century), and

Kumaran Asan Mahakavi Kumaran Asan (12 April 1871 – 16 January 1924) was a poet of Malayalam literature, Indian social reformer and a philosopher. He is known to have initiated a revolution in Malayalam poetry during the first quarter of the 20th century, ...

(1873–1924). Paruthiyur Krishna Sastri (1842–1911) and

Sengalipuram Anantarama Dikshitar Sengalipuram Anantarama Dikshitar (; 2 August 1903 – 30 October 1969) was a Śrauti scholar and also was an exponent of the art of '' upanyasa''s (discourses) on various subjects in Hinduism. Born in the Thanjavur district as the second son to ...

(1903–1969) specialized in Vyākaraṇa, Mīmāṃsā and Tarka shastra.

References

Bibliography

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: * *

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: *Krishna Jain (2011). ''Tarka-śāstra: eka rūpa-rekhā'' (Raj Verma Sinha, translator) 'A textbook of logic: an introduction'' Naī Dillī: Ḍī. Ke. Priṇṭavarlḍa. , , anguage: Hindi, translated from 2007 English original , , *Pavitra Kumāra Śarmā (2007). ''Tarka śāstra''. Jayapura: Haṃsā Prakāśana. anguage: Hindi*Gulābarāya. ''Tarka śāstra''. Kāśī: Nāgarīpracāriṇī Sabhā. anguage: Hindi(on Hindu logic) *George William Brown (1915). ''Hindi logic''. Jubbulpore: Christian Mission Press. anguage: Hindi

External links

Tarka Shastra - Shastra Nethralaya
{{Indian philosophy Hindu philosophical concepts Hermeneutics Ritual