Nigamana as conclusion step – UGC NET Question

In the five-membered form of Indian inference, nigamana is the concluding statement that reasserts the original thesis after the intervening reasoning has been presented. It summarises the outcome that the sadhya has been established in the paksha. This step formally closes the inferential sequence. Therefore the final step described in the stem is called nigamana.

Option A:
Option A, pratijna, is the initial statement of the thesis to be proved, not its final restatement. It opens the inferential process rather than completing it. Thus pratijna is not the correct answer.

Option B:
Option B, hetu, provides the reason supporting the thesis and appears as the second step in the five-membered structure. While essential to the argument, hetu does not mark the conclusion.

Option C:
Option C, drstanta, gives an example that illustrates the universal connection between hetu and sadhya, such as the kitchen where smoke and fire co-occur. It helps justify vyapti but is not the concluding assertion.

Option D:
Option D is correct because nigamana explicitly names the stage at which the thesis is declared as proven based on the preceding steps. It is structurally analogous to the conclusion in Western syllogistic reasoning.