Essay name: Tarkabhasa of Kesava Misra (study)
Author:
Nimisha Sarma
Affiliation: Gauhati University / Department of Sanskrit
This is an English study of the Tarkabhasa of Kesava Misra: a significant work of the syncretic Nyaya-Vaisesika school of Indian philosophy widely used as a beginner's textbook in southern India and has many commentaries. This study includes an extensive overview of the Nyaya and Vaisesika philosophy, epistemology and sources of valid knowledge. It further deals with the contents and commentaries of the Tarkabhasa.
Chapter 2 - A note on Tarkabhasa
13 (of 20)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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42
Kesava Misra must, therefore, have flourished somewhere between 1000
and 1300 A.D.26
4.
SCOPE OF TB
The scope of TB is too wide as we have mentioned above that it is a
prakarana type of book. So, it includes the vast Nyaya and Vaise峁ka system
in concise. The whole book is in simple language and it is accepted by all
groups of learners and Scholars. Kesava Misra mentions the scope of the TB
in the opening verse of the work. The name of the book itself refers the scope
of the book. The word 'b膩la 27 (young boys) in the verse refers to the
ignorance of a person about this science. Those, who are inexperienced in the
science of logic is considered here as 鈥榖膩la'. So the book is written for those
who have no knowledge about the sixteen categories or who have no energy to
study the most difficult and extensive works like Nyaya and Vaise峁ka, but
eager to know them. Kesava Misra says that the aim of his work is to give the
knowledge of Nyaya with little effort to those who are ignorant in this field.
5. COTENTS OF TB
Kesava Misra begins the subject-matter of the work after deliberating
its scope. He mentions the sixteen padarthas accepted by Gautama in his NS.
He explains that by knowing the real nature of the sixteen categories,
liberation (mok峁) can be obtained. He shows that real nature of these
categories beginning with pram膩峁嘺 cannot be possessed unless the three
26.
TBP. p.xxii.
27.
bala prak峁泃as膩striyaparibh膩峁Ｄ乶abhij帽a ityartha岣�. TBS. p.117
