3.3. Perception according to Bhāsarvajña

[Full title: 2. The Navya-Naiyāyika Theory of Perception—Perception according to Bhāsarvajña]

According to Bhāsarvajña,

“Perception is the means of direct immediate (aparokṣa) experience.”^[1]

The perception has divided into two categories:

1. Yogic perception,
2. Non-yogic perception.

According to him yogic perception is direct and immediate experience of present, past, future and subtle object.^[2] Yogic perception apprehends objects which are away from the space. It is of two types: yuktāvasthā which is a disciplined state, and ayuktāvasthā which is not a disciplined state. The yuktāvasthā yogic perception apprehends all things jointly without remainder by one’s merit together with intercourse between the soul and the inner cause (antaḥkaraṇa). In the ayuktāvasthā yogic perception the common kind of sense object and other contacts take place like fourfold, threefold, etc. as per the requirement while in a disciplined state only a twofold contact is required. So-called ārṣa knowledge is inserted under the realm of yogic perception, because it is generated by exceptional merit of the sages.

Again, perception is of two types: propositional and non-propositional. Propositional perception is arised from its description by relation with names, etc. for instance: “this Devadatta has a pen”. Non-propositional perception includes the appearance of the nature (svarūpa) of an object. For instance: the judgement arised by the first contact with the eye, or yogic perception of the disciplined-state variety.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

tatra samyagparokṣānubhavasādhanaṃ pratyakṣaṃ. Nyāyasāra., p.7.

[2]:

J. Sinha, op.cit., p.340.