Vada in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c6.s5.t14.1

c6.s5.t14.1

Jayarāśi Bhaṭṭa, the author of *Tattvopaplavasirṁha*, flourished between ᴄᴇ 770–830. He was a staunch follower of a very hard-core school of Cārvāka system. But his harsh criticism of the epistemologies of all systems establishes him as a nihilist and non-believer. A votary of scepticism, Jayarāśi did not postulate any viewpoint and declared that he had excelled even Bṛhaspati, the first proponent of Cārvāka school. *Tattvopaplavasirṁha* is a great exercise in *vitaṇḍā* (cavil). He refuted all epistemological categories of Nyāya, called the views of Kumārila Bhaṭṭa as *bālavalgitam* (child’s quibbling).¹²⁶ He not only refuted the theses of Buddhist philosophers, he also refuted their refutation of the Naiyāyikas on *jāti* (universal).¹²⁷ He had refuted the concept of *pramāṇa* as propounded in the philosophies of Nyāya, Mīmāṁsā, Sāṁkhya, Buddhism, Vyākaraṇa and Purāṇa. In his treatment of Mīmāṁsā, he quoted the definitions of *pramāṇa* given by Kumārila and for Buddhism he cited Dharmakīrti’s definition only. But he gave prominence to the refutation of Nyāya system and cited the definitions of all the four *pramāṇas* from *Nyāyasūtra* for their rejection. He seemed referring to *Vākyapadīyam* of Bhartṛhari for the denouncement of the philosophy of grammar.