History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c94.359.1

v7.c94.359.1

One of the earliest occurrences of the word *tarka* is in the Kaṭhopaniṣad²⁴¹¹ where it is declared 'This knowledge (about the Self) cannot be obtained by (mere) ratiocination' and the previous verse states that the Self is subtler than the subtlest and not capable of being understood by mere inference or reasoning. The word 'mantavyaḥ' in the passage²⁴¹² 'Ātmā vā are draṣṭavyaḥ śrotavyo mantavyo' (in Bṛ. Up. II. 4. 5 and IV. 5. 6) is held by the objector (in bhāṣya on V. S. I. 1. 2) and also by Śaṅkarācārya as referring to *tarka* on V. S. II. 1. 4. Tarka is accepted as an *aṅga* of Yoga in the Maitrāyaṇī Up. (vide note 2327 above), which further quotes a passage stating that by the control of speech, mind and prāṇa one apprehends *brahman* with the help of tarka.²¹¹³ The Gautamadharmasūtra²¹¹⁴ remarks 'tarka is the means for securing justice (among contending parties)'. One of the replies given by Yudhiṣṭhira to the Yakṣa guarding a lake is 'ratiocination is unstable (leads to no certain conclusions), the Vedic texts differ (among themselves), there is no single sage whose opinion is held authoritative (by people or other sages); the essence of Dharma is placed in a cave (i. e. is enveloped in darkness and cannot be seen clearly), that is the path (to be followed) by which the majority of people proceed'.²¹¹⁵ This appears to make man in the mass the ultimate tribunal on all questions of value.