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Vada in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c6.s5.t17: Udayana

Vāda in Theory and Practice: Studies in Debates, Dialogues and Discussions in Indian Intellectual Discourses c6.s5.t17

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English

Udayana

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Udayana, one of the most brilliant stars in the firmament of philosophy, was born in the second half of the tenth century CE in a village near Darbhanga in Bihar. The period of his activity extends to the first half of the eleventh century. One of the greatest Naiyāyikas, he acquired legendary fame for countering Buddhism through scholastic debates and through his writings. In *Bhaktimāhātmya*, he is eulogized as an incarnation of Viṣṇu, who delighted the scholars by his *Kiraṇāvalī* (cluster of rays, the title of one of his works).¹⁴⁶ As per textual evidence, *Kiraṇāvalī* the text referred by *Bhaktimāhātmya* with a pun was composed in CE 984. Śrīdhara, a wellknown author of *Nyāyakandalī*, another eminent Naiyāyika, who lived in Bengal, was his contemporary and both Udayana and Śrīdhara seem to criticize each other in *Kiraṇāvalī* and *Nyāyakandalī*, respectively. He has cited a verse of Buddhist philosopher Jñānaśrī and has also refuted his views.

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His *Nyāyakusumāñjali* is a brilliant dissertation in defence of the existence of God. For this treatise, Udayana came to regarded as a saviour in the theistic tradition. In fact, credit goes to him for having convincingly established theism in the system of Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika. His *Ātmatattaviveka* is also known as *Bauddhādhikāra* and better by *Bauddhadhikkāra* (Condemnation of the Buddhists).

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Udayana established the existence of the self (*ātman*) as an object of internal perception. There has to be cognizer for every cognition. The Vijñānavādin refuses to accept this distinction and maintains that the cognizer and the cognition are one and the same. Udayana traps the Vijñānavādin on the basis of latter’s acceptance of two types of parallel streams of cognitions — *ālaya-vijñāna* (self cognition) and *pravṛtti-vijñāna* (object cognition). The former works as a storehouse to generate the object cognitions. Udayana questioned the very logistics of this genesis.

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Several stories of his public debates with contemporary philosophers are known in the tradition. He is said to have defeated Hīra, a *paṇḍit* in the court of King Vijayacandra of Kānyakubja. To have his revenge, Hīra devoted himself to training his son, Śrīharṣa. Śrīharṣa became one of the intellectual giants of his time and a celebrated poet also, but his rival had already passed away by the time he was prepared to challenge. Śrīharṣa had to contend by refuting Udayana's theories of Nyāya in his *Khaṇḍanakhaṇḍakhādya*. Caṇḍū Paṇḍita, a commentator of Śrīharṣa's *Naiṣadhīyacarita*, says: "Śrīharṣa refuted the works of Udayana, who had defeated his father, in the text entitled *Khaṇḍanakhaṇḍakhādya*".

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There is a whole section devoted to *Udayanamāhātmya* (glory of Udayana) in *Bhaviṣya Purāṇa Pariśiṣṭa* (chap. XXX) describing Udayana's debate with some Bauddhācārya. The king of Mithila announced that if the *paṇḍits* of his court are defeated by the Bauddhācārya then he will accept ordination under him, and if the *paṇḍits* defeat him, then he will remain a slave to them. Udayana alone accepted the challenge. The debate between him and the Buddhist scholar continued for several days. Then the Bauddhācārya created some magic (*māyā*). Ultimately, both agreed that they will give a taste by falling from a tall palmyra tree, and whosoever remains alive will be the winner. Udayana escaped after falling from the heights of the tree and his enemy died. But then he had to incur the sin of causing the death of a religious figure and when he visited Jagannātha Temple at Purī, the doors of the temple closed at his face. Undaunted, Udayana recited a stanza addressed to Lord Jagannātha, which said:

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*You are despising me*
*Intoxicated by your prowess*
*But when the Buddhists come*
*Your very existence depends on me.*

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The story goes that the doors of the temple were flung open at this and Lord Jagannātha appeared before the priests of the temple in a dream to tell them that Udayana, having proved his existence through logic, is His form.

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Such was the glory attained by Udayana that Cāritravardhana, a commentator on *Meghadūta* of Kālidāsa, understood a reference to King Udayana in the poem as reference to Udayanācārya and explained that the famous Naiyāyika was a resident of Ujjayinī, and the tales about him were told by the elderly people even in the villages there.

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In his *Ātmatattvaviveka* Udayana counters for oppositional stands — Kṣaṇabhaṅgavāda (theory of momentariness), Guṇaguṇibhedabhaṅgavāda — theory of non-difference between the quality and qualifier and *anupalambha* (non-perception).

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Udayana ultimately created a synthesis of Nyāya and Vaiśeṣika systems to form a complete unity. His *Nyāyapariśiṣṭa* also known as *Pariśiṣṭa*, *Bodhasiddhi* or *Prabodhasiddhi* can be regarded as a commentary on *Nyāyasūtras* of Gautama, whereas *Kiraṇāvalī* by him is the only available commentary on *Padārthadharmasaṁgraha* of Praśastapāda which is a basic text of the Vaiśeṣika system. Udayana also wrote another work on Vaiśeṣika philosophy, i.e. *Lakṣaṇāvalī*.

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Next to Udayana, Gaṅgeśa stands as one of the most outstanding logicians. He “scrupulously analyses and rejects the opponent’s views and makes *Īśvarānumāna* a perfected syllogism”.¹⁴⁷

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