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Naiyayika

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For The ancient universities of the Naiyayikas, see Ancient Mithila University and University of ancient Nadia.

Naiyayika (Sanskrit: नैयायिक , Romanised: Naiyāyika) is referred to a follower of the Nyāya school of the Indian philosophy founded by the Vedic sage Akshapada Gautama. Its plural form is Naiyayikas. The scholar who study and specialises in the field of Nyaya Shastra is known as Naiyayika. The Naiyayikas are also called as logicians.[1][2][3][4]

Naiyayika
Image of the 10th century CE "Naiyāyika" Udayanacharya
Occupation
SynonymLogician
Occupation type
Philosopher
Specialty
  • Nyaya Shastra
  • Indian Logic
Description
CompetenciesLogical reasonings, Sanskrit literature
Education required
Master of Philosophy with specialisation in Nyaya Sutras
Fields of
employment
Department of philosophy in universities, Sanskrit universities and Vedic learning institutes
Related jobs
Professor, Philosopher and Logician

The main occupations of the Naiyayikas are the investigations of the truth and acquiring correct knowledge through the process of logical reasonings. They accept the validity of the authority of the Vedas. They harmonise their own independent thoughts and concepts with that of the Vedas.[5]

Etymology

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Naiyayika is a Sanskrit word. It is combination of two terms nyāya and ika. The literal meaning of the word Naiyayika is "knower of the Nyaya philosophy".[1]

History

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There is long history of the tradition of Naiyayikas in the Indian subcontinent. The history of the tradition of Naiyayikas span nearly three thousand years back from the present time. The history of Naiyayikas started from the time when the Nyaya Sutras was founded by the Vedic sage Akshapada Gautama in Mithila. The Vedic sage Akshapada Gautama is considered as the first Naiyayika in the tradition of Vedic learning.[6] According to the second book known as Shabha Parva in the text Mahabharata, Devashree Narada is described as a logician. He was well versed in Logic.[7]

Devashree Narada described as a Logician in the text Mahabharata

During the period of 1st - 2nd century CE, the Vedic sage Vatsyayana was a prominent Naiyayika. Some scholars dated his period from 3rd century CE to 4th century CE. He wrote a commentary on the text Nyaya Sutras of Akshapada Gautama to answer the questions of Buddhists.[8][9] The name of the commentary on Nyaya Sutras written by the Naiyayika Vatsyayana is known as Nyayabhashya. It is considered as the earliest commentary on the Nyaya Sutras of Akshapada Gautama.[10][11][7]

Indian philosopher "Vatsyayana" - the prominent Naiyayika of the era 1st - 2nd century CE

During the period 6th century CE to 7th century CE, Uddyotakara emerged as a prominent Naiyayika who wrote sub commentary on the Vatsyayana's commentary text Nyayabhashya. His sub commentary is known as Nyāya-vārtika. It is also called as Nyaya-bhāsya-varttika. The period of Uddyotakara variously estimated between 550 CE to 630 CE.[12][13] In the 9th century CE, Vachaspati Mishra was an eminent Naiyayika in Mithila. He wrote a commentary on the Nyāya-vārtika of Uddyotakara. His commentary is known as Nyaya-varttika-tatparyatika.[14] Similarly Jayanta Bhatta was another eminent Naiyayika during the period of the 9th - 10th century CE who wrote a commentary known as Nyayamanjari around 1000 CE.[5]

During the period of 10th - 11th century CE, Udayanacharya emerged as a prominent Naiyayika in Mithila who reconciled the views of the two independent schools of thought Nyaya and Vaisheshika of the Indian philosophy and led the foundation of the Navya Nyaya school of thought. He founded independent treatise known as Nyayakusumanjali to prove the existence of God using logic. He attempted to devise a rational theology to counter the attack on the existence of God at the hands of Buddhist philosophers such as Dharmakīrti, Jñānaśrī and against the Chārvaka school of materialism.[15][16] Apart from the text Nyayakusumanjali, he also wrote Nyāyavārttikatātparyapariśuddhi, Nyāyapariśiṣṭa, Probodhasiddhi (Bodhasiddhi), Ātmatattvaviveka, Kiraṇāvalī and Lakṣaṇāvalī.[5]

On the basis of time period and the later development of Nyaya Shastra, the Naiyayikas are classified into two types. They are ancient Naiyayika also known as classical Naiyayika and Navya Naiyayika. The Navya Naiyayika are also called as Neo Naiyayika or New Naiyayika or Modern Naiyayika.[8][17]

After the foundation of the text Nyayakusumanjali by the Naiyayika Udayanacharya, the tradition of Neo Naiyayikas started in the sub-continent. But the tradition of the Neo Naiyayikas formally got started after the foundation of the text Tattavachintamani by the Naiyayika Gangesha Upadhyaya of 12th - 13th century CE in Mithila.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b www.wisdomlib.org (2014-09-14). "Naiyayika, Naiyāyika: 14 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2024-12-08.
  2. ^ Granoff, P. E. (2012-12-06). Philosophy and Argument in Late Vedānta: Śrī Harṣa’s Khaṇḍanakhaṇḍakhādya. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 978-94-009-9822-3.
  3. ^ Phillips, Stephen H. (1997). Classical Indian Metaphysics: Refutations of Realism and the Emergence of "New Logic. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 978-81-208-1489-9.
  4. ^ Sinha, Jadunath (2013-10-08). Indian Psychology Perception. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-34605-7.
  5. ^ a b c d www.wisdomlib.org (2022-03-12). "(B). A Note on Vedic schools". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
  6. ^ Chaudhary, Radhakrishna. Mithilak Itihas (in Hindi). Ram Vilas Sahu. ISBN 978-93-80538-28-0.
  7. ^ a b Gautama Muni. Nyaya Sutra.
  8. ^ a b Vedālaṅkāra, Haridatta (2005). Cultural history of India (in Hindi). Atmaram & Sons. ISBN 978-81-7043-617-1.
  9. ^ Sinha, Jadunath (2013-10-08). Indian Psychology Perception. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-136-34605-7.
  10. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2016-01-24). "Nyayabhashya, Nyāyabhāṣya, Nyaya-bhashya: 4 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
  11. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2024-08-19). "4. Authors of Nyaya (b): Vatsyayana". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
  12. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2019-07-01). "Uddyotakara: 4 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
  13. ^ Dasti, Matthew; Phillips, Stephen (2017-09-01). The Nyaya-sutra: Selections with Early Commentaries. Hackett Publishing. ISBN 978-1-62466-618-6.
  14. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2016-01-24). "Nyayavarttikatatparyatika, Nyāyavārttikatātparyaṭīkā, Nyaya-varttika-tatparyatika: 3 definitions". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2024-12-10.
  15. ^ Dasgupta, Surendranath (1997). A history of Indian philosophy. Vol. 1. Vol. 1 (Repr ed.). Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-0412-8.
  16. ^ Matilal, Bimal Krishna; Ganeri, Jonardon; Tiwari, Heeraman (1998). The character of logic in India. Suny series in Indian thought. Albany: State University of New York Press. ISBN 978-0-7914-3739-1.
  17. ^ www.wisdomlib.org (2021-06-11). "The Naiyāyika's View on Injunctions [Chapter 2.4]". www.wisdomlib.org. Retrieved 2024-12-10.


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