Vada in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c6.s1.16

c6.s1.16

The questions posed by Gārgī were cleverly formulated and in the terminology of the Nyāya, they were likely to trap the respondent in *nigrahasthānas* (clinchers), which are being described in the next chapter of this work. Gārgī knew that her question pertained to the Ultimate was indescribable. If Yājñavalkya replied it, he would be committing a mistake by saying that which aught not to be said. (Technically that was a *nigrahasthāna* called *avācyavacana*). If he avoided the question, he would be trapped in the *nigrahasthāna* called *apratibhā*.