Vada in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c5.s15.1

c5.s15.1

The profundity of the debates in the areas of philosophy, *dharma* (ethics and law) and Āyurveda, etc. led to the theoretical discussion on *vāda*, and a conceptual framework for Vādaśāstra was thus created. Independent texts on the theory of *vāda* were written in Sanskrit. Perhaps no other language and no other culture has such a rich tradition of having consistent dialogues on the concept of dialogue, discussions on the discussion, debates on the debate and conversations on the conversation. There are independent treatises exclusively or partly composed for the exposition of the theory of *vāda*. Vasubandhu’s *Vādavidhi*, Dharmakīrti’s *Vādanyāya* are treatises exclusively devoted to *vāda* theory. The theory of *vāda* is taken up in some of the works of Asaṅga and Udayana. Dharmakīrti in his *Nyāyabindu* has devoted the section on the *parārthānumāna* to the theoretical aspects of *vāda*. *Pramāṇapaddhati* on the epistemology of Mādhva school⁷⁴ has discussion on debates. Vasubandhu’s *Vādavidhi* was not available to me. For discussions on debate by Asaṅga, I have depended on Alex Wayman.