Vyapti in Indian inference – UGC NET Question

Vyapti expresses the universal and invariable relation between the hetu and the sadhya. It states that wherever the middle term is present, the major term is also present. This unbroken concomitance underlies the validity of inference in Indian logic. Therefore the relation described in the stem is called vyapti.

Option A:
Option A, paksha, is the subject or locus in which the middle term is asserted. It refers to the site of inference, not to the invariable relation itself. Hence paksha is not the correct term here.

Option B:
Option B, hetu, is the middle term or reason cited to prove the sadhya. While hetu participates in vyapti, it is not the name of the relation of concomitance. Thus hetu does not answer the question precisely.

Option C:
Option C correctly names vyapti as the universal concomitance between hetu and sadhya. It is expressed in examples like “wherever there is smoke, there is fire”. Therefore vyapti is the best fit for the stem.

Option D:
Option D, nigamana, signifies the concluding statement of the five-membered inference. It summarises what has been established but does not denote the underlying relation. Consequently nigamana is not the answer sought.