Vyapti as concomitance – UGC NET Question

Vyapti expresses the universal, exceptionless relation between the reason (hetu) and the property to be proved (sadhya). It states that wherever the hetu is present, the sadhya is also present, and this relation underwrites the legitimacy of inference. Recognising vyapti is thus crucial for establishing that the observed sign reliably indicates the inferred property. Therefore the relation described is called vyapti.

Option A:
Option A, paksha, is the subject or locus in which the sadhya is to be established, such as the hill in the classic smoke–fire example. It is not the relation between hetu and sadhya themselves. Thus paksha does not match the description.

Option B:
Option B is correct because vyapti specifically denotes the invariable concomitance that connects reason and probandum. Without such a universal linkage, anumana would not yield reliable knowledge. This aligns exactly with the statement in the question.

Option C:
Option C, drstanta, is the example that illustrates the vyapti, such as a kitchen where smoke and fire are observed together. It helps make the underlying relation clear but is not itself the relation.

Option D:
Option D, nigamana, is the concluding statement in the five-membered form of inference and represents the final step of asserting the proved thesis. It does not name the universal connection that licenses the inference.