An Introduction to Tarkasaṃgraha

The Tarkasaṃgraha of Annaṃbhaṭṭa is an excellent introductory treatise on the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika system of Indian Philosophy Yudhisthira Gopa says that the Tarkasaṃgraha is primarily the door of the twin-darśana, Nyāya and Vaiśeṣika system.^[1]

There are many books–both Bhāṣyas and Prakaraṇas written by different scholars to propound the theories advocated by the Nyāya and the Vaiśeṣika systems. These works are very critical and elaborate and as such are not easily understandable. That is why Annaṃbhaṭṭa wrote the present work, so that the principles of Nyāya Vaiśeṣika system can be easily understood by even a dull witted person.^[2]

The title of the book consists of two words tarka and saṃgraha. ‘Saṃgraha’ means collection or compilation. The word tarka has different meanings. In the Nyāya vidyā, the word tarka is used in lieu of anumāna. Gautama states sixteen categories in the first sūtra of his Nyāyasūtra. He calls these as tarka. According to Gautama, tarka is avijñātatatvārthe kāraṇopapattistattvajñānārthamūhastarkaḥ.^[3] It means: tarka is reasoning which is carried on for ascertaining the real nature of a thing that is not known. It reveals the character by showing the absurdity of all contrary characters. In the Nyāyabhāṣya of Vātsyāyaṇa, it is found that tarko … pramāṇāmanugrāha kastattvajñānāya kalpate.^[4] That means, tarka not a different pramāṇa, but it is the helper of the pramaṇas and brings about right knowledge.

However, Annaṃbhaṭṭa has used this term in a somewhat different sense.

In the Dīpikā he states:

“tarkyante pratipādyante iti tarkāḥ dravyādipadārthāstesāṃ saṃgrahaḥ saṃkṣepeṇa svarūpakathanaṃ kriyata ityarthaḥ”.^[5]

Hence, tarka, in his view,means all the categories accepted in Vaiśeṣika philosophy,such as dravya etc. He arrives at this meaning from the derivation of the term tarka. Saṃgraha signifies ‘describing the nature of these categories in brief’. Therefore, Tarkasaṃgraha means a work where the natures of all the padārthas are described briefly.

The language of Tarkasaṃgraha is very easy, so anybody can understand it easily. Tarkasaṃgraha is invariably prescriably for the beginners in many universities of India. This work is mainly suited and helpful for the students of the Nyāyā Vaiśeṣika philosophy.

In the preface of Tarkasaṃgraha edited by Swami Virupakshananda it has rightly been said,

“While the Tarkasaṃgraha is meant primarily to unlock the doors of the twin-darśana of Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika, it is also the master key that has been used by the Acharyas of the other darśanas -the Saṃkhya and Yoga, Mīmāṃsā and Vedānta.”^[6]

Annaṃbhaṭṭa starts his Tarkasaṃgraha with a prayer to Śivā^[7] and saluting his guru. The work contains detail discussion about seven categories and their numerous divisions.

These categories are:

1. substance (dravya),
2. quality (guṇa),
3. action (karma),
4. generality (sāmānya),
5. particularity (viśeṣa),
6. inherence (samavāya) and
7. nonexistence (abhāva).

These seven categories and their different subdivisions are most lucidly illustrated in this work which is accepted from Vaiśeṣika system.

There are twenty-four kinds of Quality and Buddhi is one of them. Buddhi or knowledge is of two kinds–

1. anubhava (experience) and
2. smṛti (recollection).

Anubhava or experience may be right or wrong. The right experience (yathārthānubhava) is divided into four kinds, viz.

1. perceptual knowledge (pratyakṣa),
2. inferential knowledge (anumiti),
3. comparative knowledge (upamiti) and
4. verbal knowledge (śabda).

These are called four pramāṇas which are accepted from the Nyāya system.

Annaṃbhaṭṭa has explained in detail about these four pramāṇas and their sub-divisions in this work. He also discusses the kāraṇas. According to him kāraṇa is divided into three types, viz. inherent cause (samavāyikāraṇa), non-inherent cause (asamavāyi-kāraṇa) and instrumental cause (nimittakāraṇa).

Though Annaṃbhaṭṭa composed many works, only the Tarkasaṃgraha and the Dīpikā are the most popular. There are three essential qualities of a good manual, viz., brevity, accuracy and lucidity which are all found in the Tarkasaṃgraha. There are mixtures of views of the Nyāya and the Vaiśeṣika system in the Tarkasaṃgraha and the Dīpikā and the author borrows from both Kaṇāda and Gautama.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

cf. Judhisthira Gopa, (ed.), Tarkasaṃgraha, p. Introduction

[2]:

vālānāṃ sukhavodhāya kriyate tarkasaṃgrahaḥ/ Tarkasaṃgraha, p. 1

[3]:

Nyāyasūtra, 1.1.40

[4]:

Nyāyabhāṣya, 1.1.1

[5]:

Dīpikā on Tarkasaṃgraha, p.2

[6]:

Swami Virupakshananda, (ed.), Tarkasaṃgraha, p.4

[7]:

nidhāya hṛdi viśvesaṃ vidhāya guruvandanam/ Tarkasaṃgraha, p. 1