Purvavat cause to effect inference – UGC NET Question

Purvavat anumana proceeds from knowledge of a presently observed cause to knowledge of a future effect that has not yet occurred. Observing dark, moisture-laden clouds and inferring impending rain exemplifies this pattern. The temporal direction runs from earlier cause to later effect. Consequently, Nyaya classifies such reasoning as purvavat inference.

Option A:
Option A is correct because purvavat literally means "based on the prior" and captures the movement from cause, which is temporally prior, to effect, which is posterior. It highlights one important way in which temporal relations inform inference.

Option B:
Option B, sesavat, goes from an observed effect back to an earlier cause and thus reverses the temporal direction described in the stem.

Option C:
Option C, samanyatodrsta, relies on general uniformities of coexistence rather than specific causal chains and therefore does not fit the cloud–rain example as neatly.

Option D:
Option D, kevalanvayi, classifies inference by the nature of vyapti (only positive instances) rather than by the temporal relationship between cause and effect.