Samanya as universal – UGC NET Question

Samanya represents the shared nature or universal that is instantiated in many particular objects, enabling us to group them under a common class name. For example, cow-ness is the samanya present in all individual cows. Nyaya-Vaisheshika treats universals as real entities distinct from both individuals and mental constructs. Hence the universal described in the stem is samanya.

Option A:
Option A is correct because samanya literally means “commonness” and designates that which is one in many, grounding our ability to recognise kinds.

Option B:
Option B, vishesha, is the category of particularity that differentiates ultimate entities from one another; it is the opposite of the unifying role of samanya.

Option C:
Option C, dravya, refers to substances that serve as substrates for qualities and universals; universals reside in them but are not identical with them.

Option D:
Option D, guna, denotes qualities such as colour or taste, which inhere in substances but are not the universals under which many individuals are classified.