On “Jayanta” as Referred to by Udayana

Abstract

In his exposition of Nyāyasūtra 1.1.6, which defines analogy or identification (upamāna), Udayana (ca. 11th century CE) made an important statement that has been considered as symbolically indicating a turning point in the history of the Nyāya tradition. According to Udayana, Vācaspati Miśra (ca. 10th c.) refers to the “refutation of the Old Naiyāyika, Jayanta and others (jarannaiyāyika-jayanta-prabhṛti-).” This statement has long been considered by scholars as a witness of Bhaṭṭa Jayanta’s (ca. 9th c.) chronological antecedence to Vācaspati. However, the statement has not received sufficient philological examination by offering an analysis of relevant passages that positively substantiate Udayana’s witness. Furthermore, Udayana calls Vācaspati the “modern Naiyāyika” (abhinavanaiyāyika), with the emphasis on Vācaspati’s novelty. The present paper aims at giving these views by Udayana a certain level of plausibility by examining relevant passages from Vācaspati’s Nyāyavārttikatātparyaṭīkā and Jayanta’s Nyāyamañjarī. The analysis also relies on a passage from an as yet unpublished portion of Vardhamāna’s (ca. 14th c.) Nyāyanibandhaprakāśa, a commentary on Udayana’s Nyāyavārttikatātparyapariśuddhi. In addition to detecting theories of Jayanta to which Vācaspati allegedly refers, the paper describes an innovative aspect of Vācaspati’s own theory of analogy, which will, in effect, mark the theory presented by Jayanta as theoretically cumbersome (gaurava).