Indian epistemic terms

[Dr K N Neelakantan Elayath]

Dear Indologist

The greatest Indian contribution to Philosophy according to me is its 
in-depth discussions on pramAna sAstra or epistemology which is carried on 
to an astounding sbtlety in most of the systems of Indian philosophy.And its 
basic structure,technical terms and tools were supplied by the 
NaiyyAyikas,both ancient and modern.Early Buddhism also might have 
contributed substantially to this branch.Many terminologies introduced by 
Nyaya philosophy are accepted in most of the Indian philosophical 
systems.But their definition varies.Terms are sometimes understood totally 
in a different way.To give an example, the  word pratyksha,meaning a 
perceptual knowledge is understood differently in different Darsanas. Many 
modern studies and editions of Darsana works in Sanskrit now give a glossary 
of technical terms in the end.For a proper undestanding of these terms thier 
study against the background of the structure of their philosophical 
concepts becomes absolutely necessary.

Dr K N Neelakantan Elayath
Hony.Professor
Adyar Library and Research Certre,
Adyar,Chennai-600020
www.knneelakantan.net