UGC NET Questions (Paper – 1)

Alaukika pratyaksha groups together kinds of perception that do not arise simply from the ordinary functioning of the senses on external objects. It includes samanyalaksana, jnanalaksana and yogaja forms of awareness. These involve special connections, such as perceiving universals or yogic intuition, that transcend standard sensory operations. Thus the extraordinary perceptions mentioned in the stem are classified as alaukika pratyaksha.

Option A:
Option A, nirvikalpa, concerns the level of conceptual articulation rather than whether a perception is ordinary or extraordinary, so it cannot alone capture the special status of these experiences.

Option B:
Option B, savikalpa, again speaks to determinacy and can occur in both laukika and alaukika contexts; it is not the umbrella term for extraordinary perception.

Option C:
Option C, laukika, designates ordinary perceptions of everyday objects and explicitly contrasts with the non-worldly, special character signalled in the stem.

Option D:
Option D is correct because alaukika literally means "non-worldly" and is reserved in Nyaya for those perceptions that go beyond ordinary sensory contact, including yogic and universal-focused cognitions.

Alaukika pratyaksha encompasses forms of perception that transcend ordinary sensory mechanisms, such as samanyalaksana, jnanalaksana and yogaja perception. These involve special kinds of connections or powers that allow awareness of universals, cross-modal properties or distant objects. Nyaya treats them as exceptional yet still perceptual in character. Thus the collective label for such extraordinary perceptions is alaukika pratyaksha.

Option A:
Option A, laukika, applies only to ordinary empirical perception and stands in contrast to the special cases mentioned in the stem. It is therefore the opposite class.

Option B:
Option B, nirvikalpa, focuses on the level of conceptual articulation and can occur in both ordinary and extraordinary perception, so it does not name the special group of perceptions as such.

Option C:
Option C, savikalpa, again concerns determinacy and may describe either laukika or alaukika perceptions, so it is not the correct classification term here.

Option D:
Option D is correct because alaukika literally means "non-worldly" and is explicitly used in Nyaya to designate these extraordinary perceptual experiences.