Paksha as subject of inference – UGC NET Question

Paksha is the locus or subject about which the conclusion of an inference is drawn. In the classic example, the hill serves as paksha where the property of being fiery is to be demonstrated. All discussion about presence or absence of hetu and sadhya centres on this subject. Hence the entity described in the stem is called paksha.

Option A:
Option A is correct because paksha literally means “the side” under consideration in argument. Nyaya texts consistently identify paksha as the place where the probandum is to be established.

Option B:
Option B, hetu, is the reason or sign used to justify the conclusion, such as the presence of smoke. It functions as a middle term, not as the subject.

Option C:
Option C, sadhya, is the property or probandum to be established in the paksha, like fire, and is conceptually different from the subject possessing it.

Option D:
Option D, vyapti, denotes the universal relation between hetu and sadhya that underlies the inference. It is a logical relation, not a subject-locus.