UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

In the Nyāya model, nigamana is the final step where the original thesis (pratijñā) is restated as now established by the reason, example and application. After showing that the hetu pervaded by the sādhya is present in the pakṣa, the arguer concludes “therefore the hill is fiery” or similar. Nigamana thus has a summarising and concluding role in the inferential sequence.

Option A:
Option A describes dṛṣṭānta (or udāharaṇa), where an example like “the kitchen, which has smoke and fire” is introduced.

Option B:
Option B refers to the hetu step, in which the reason such as “because it has smoke” is first stated.

Option C:
Option C correctly portrays nigamana as the terminal restatement of the thesis, now backed by the previously supplied reasoning.

Option D:
Option D instead captures the function of upanaya, which applies the general concomitance to the specific pakṣa.