Vada in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c5.s19.1

c5.s19.1

During this second phase in the history of *vāda*, several genres of creating a *vāda*-text or any śāstric treatise were developed. They are — *sūtra*, *vṛtti*, *paddhati*, *bhāṣya*, *samīkṣā*, *cūrṇi*, *ṭīkā*, *pañjikā*, *kārikā* and *vārttika*.⁸⁰ A *bhāṣya* provides new interpretations, takes note of the diverse views and offers their critique. A *vārttika* examines a *sūtra* (aphorism) from the express point of view of what is stated (*ukta*) by a rule, what is not stated (*anukta*) by a rule, and what has been restated, or poorly stated (*durukta*) by a rule (*uktānuktadurukta-cintakatvam vārttikatvam*). A fairly substantial number of *vārttikas* formulated by Kātyāyana on the *sūtras* of Pāṇini are cited in the *Vyākaraṇa-Mahābhāṣya* of Patañjali. *Samīkṣā*, *ṭīkā* (commentary) and *mahābhāṣya* (detailed exposition) were other genres promoting diverse traditions of debate. *Samīkṣā* presents the critique of *bhāṣya*; *ṭīkās* basically paraphrased and explained a text but also took notice of the debatable issues. Patañjali presented such outstanding example of a *mahābhāṣya* that his name has become synonymous with this genre. He structured his arguments in a unique style of a dialogue with questions (*praśnas*), illustrations (*dṛṣṭāntas*), examples (*udāharaṇas*), counterexamples (*pratyudāharaṇas*), answers (*uttaras*), objections (*ākṣepas*), doubts (*sandehas*) and resolutions of doubts (*samādhānas*), carefully leading the reader towards the final view (*siddhānta*).⁸¹