Perception as pratyaksha term – UGC NET Question

Pratyaksha is defined in Nyaya as knowledge generated by the direct contact of sense organs with their appropriate objects. Such cognition is immediate and does not depend on prior inference or testimony for its occurrence. It provides a basic and widely accepted source of information about the world. Thus, the sense-based knowledge mentioned in the stem is correctly termed pratyaksha.

Option A:
Option A, anumana, refers to inferential knowledge that arises from a sign and its invariable concomitance with the probandum and is therefore mediate rather than immediate. It presupposes pratyaksha or other pramanas for the establishment of vyapti. Hence anumana does not satisfy the condition of direct sense contact described in the stem.

Option B:
Option B is correct because pratyaksha literally means perception and is specifically tied to the operation of the senses in Nyaya. It captures the immediacy and non-inferential character of the cognition described. By isolating pratyaksha as a distinct pramana, Nyaya can examine conditions under which perceptual knowledge is valid or defective.

Option C:
Option C, upamana, is comparison-based knowledge where an unfamiliar object is understood through similarity with a known one and does not rely solely on fresh sense contact with that object. The key element there is recognition of likeness rather than mere sensory presence.

Option D:
Option D, sabda, denotes verbal testimony as a pramana, where one acquires knowledge by trusting the statements of reliable speakers or scriptures. It is mediated by language and authority, not by the bare functioning of the senses.