Paksha subject of inference – UGC NET Question

Paksha is the locus or subject about which an inferential claim is made. In the standard example, the hill functions as paksha because fire is to be proved of it. All discussion of the presence or absence of hetu and sadhya centres around this subject. Thus the entity described in the stem is correctly termed paksha.

Option A:
Option A is correct because paksha identifies the side of the dispute or the case under consideration in the argument. Without specifying the paksha, one would not know where the probandum is supposed to hold. Nyaya's formalism requires clarity about this locus to test the validity of inference.

Option B:
Option B, hetu, is the reason or middle term that links paksha with sadhya, such as smoke, and is conceptually distinct from the subject in which it occurs.

Option C:
Option C, sadhya, is the probandum or property to be established, like fire, and cannot be equated with the subject that bears it.

Option D:
Option D, vyapti, is the universal relation between hetu and sadhya that supports inference and is not the subject of which the property is predicated.