Upadhi as limiting condition – UGC NET Question

Upadhi is a special condition that, when recognised, shows that an alleged universal relation holds only under certain circumstances. It explains why a seemingly general vyapti like “wherever there is smoke there is fire” fails in cases such as wet fuel, where smoke occurs without fire. Identifying the upadhi refines the vyapti to make it genuinely universal. Therefore the restricting condition described in the stem is called upadhi.

Option A:
Option A, trairupya, lists the positive conditions that a valid hetu must satisfy; it does not name the factor that exposes a hidden limitation in vyapti.

Option B:
Option B, paksha, is the specific subject of inference, not a condition governing the general relation between hetu and sadhya.

Option C:
Option C is correct because upadhi literally means “subsidiary condition” and functions in Nyaya to block overgeneralisation by specifying the exact scope of a true universal.

Option D:
Option D, dravya, is the category of substance and has no direct role as a limiting factor in logical relations.