UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Apoha is a Buddhist theory of word meaning that avoids real universals by explaining general terms through exclusion. According to this view, a word like “cow” signifies its referent by excluding non cows rather than by denoting a positive universal “cowness.” This allows Buddhists, who emphasise momentary particulars, to account for meaningful language. The theory thus focuses on semantics and conceptual construction rather than on perception alone.

Option A:
Option A misrepresents apoha, because Buddhists generally deny that perception presents universals; apoha addresses language and concepts, not direct perception.

Option B:
Option B correctly captures apoha as explaining word meaning through exclusion of what the word does not apply to. This is why it is often summarised as “meaning by exclusion.”

Option C:
Option C pertains to the reliability of scripture, which is a different epistemic issue and not the target of apoha theory.

Option D:
Option D concerns the dependence of inference on perception; although Buddhists discuss this, apoha specifically tackles how words manage to refer without real universals.