On svarupa and viaesa in Dignaga's theory of paksabhasa

• Published in: Indogaku Bukkyōgaku kenkyū Vol. 55; no. 1; pp. 429 - 422,1226
• Main Author: WATANABE, Toshikazu
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japanese Association of Indian and Buddhist Studies 2006
• Subjects: paksabhasa; svarupa; visesa
• ISSN: 0019-4344; 1884-0051
• DOI: 10.4259/ibk.55.429

In his Pramanasamuccaya III 2 and its Vrtti (PSV), Dignaga classifies paksabhasa into 6 categories by applying the notion of svarupa and visesa to dharmin (subject) and dharma (predicate) of paksa. These svarupa and visesa are first introduced in his previous logical work Nyayamukha (NMu) in the context of viruddhahetu in order to refute the syllogism which is propounded by Samkhya to prove the existence of atman. The origin of svarupa and visesa with reference to paksa, however, can be traced back to the Hetuvidya section of Yogacarabhumi and Abhidharmasamuccaya. In PSV, Dignaga introduces svarupa and visesa not only into the classification of viruddhahetu but also that of paksa. This brings a change in Dignaga's theory of paksabhasa. In NMu he enumerated 5 types of measures which negate paksa, i. e., pratyaksa, anumana, agama, prasiddha and svavacana. On the other hand, in PS (V), he does not include svavacana among them, but explains svavacanavirodha by using svarupa and visesa. This interpretation of svavacanavirodha, however, is not inherited by Dharmakirti.