In Nyāya, pakṣa is the subject or locus about which something is to be proved. In the classic example “The hill is fiery because it has smoke,” the hill is the entity whose possession of fire is being established. Smoke functions as the hetu or middle term, and fire is the sādhya or probandum. Thus, the hill is the pakṣa in which the sādhya is to be demonstrated on the strength of the hetu.
Option A:
Option A names the sādhya, the property to be proved (fire), not the locus that is being reasoned about.
Option B:
Option B gives the hetu, the reason or sign (smoke) that serves as the evidence, which is distinct from the subject of inference.
Option C:
Option C is typically used as a dṛṣṭānta in the classical example, a well-known instance where smoke and fire co-occur, but it is not the pakṣa in this inference.
Option D:
Option D correctly identifies the hill as the subject whose fiery nature is being inferred, making it the pakṣa in Nyāya terminology.
Comment Your Answer
Please login to comment your answer.
Sign In
Sign Up