Hetvabhasa general definition – UGC NET Question

Hetvabhasa literally means "that which appears like a hetu" and refers to reasons that mimic valid middle terms but do not actually establish the sadhya. Such defects may arise from irregularity, contradiction, absence in the paksha or being defeated by stronger evidence. Identifying hetvabhasas is crucial for spotting fallacies in inference. Thus the deceptive reason described in the stem is called hetvabhasa.

Option A:
Option A, vyapti, is the genuine universal concomitance between hetu and sadhya and is a sign of correctness, not of fallacy. It underwrites valid inference rather than indicating error.

Option B:
Option B is correct because hetvabhasa is the umbrella term for several standard types of fallacious reasoning in Nyaya, such as savyabhicara, viruddha and asiddha. Each example illustrates how an apparent reason can fail logically.

Option C:
Option C, drstanta, is the illustrative example used to support the inference and is not itself the defective reason, though it can reveal defects.

Option D:
Option D, paksha dharma, simply indicates a property present in the paksha and may or may not function as a suitable hetu; it is not inherently fallacious.