˜Aœ Hindu Critique of Buddhist Epistemology Kumarila on Perception: The 'Determination of Perception' Chapter of Kumarila Bhatta's Slokavarttika - Translation and Commentary

284 Pages·2014·1.4 MB·English

by  Taber, John

A HINDU CRITIQUE
OF BUDDHIST EPISTEMOLOGY
This is a translation of the chapter on perception (Pratyaks.apariccheda) from
Kuma¯rila Bhat.t.a’s magnum opus, the S´lokava¯rttika, which is one of the central
texts of the Hindu response to the logico-epistemological school of Buddhist
thought.ItiscrucialforunderstandingthedebatesbetweenHindusandBuddhists
aboutmetaphysical,epistemological,andlinguisticquestionsduringtheclassical
period.
In an extensive commentary, the author explicates the argument of the
Pratyaks.apariccheda verse by verse while also showing how it relates to ideas
and theories of other Indian philosophers and schools. Notes to the translation
and commentary go further into the historical and philosophical background of
Kuma¯rila’sideas.
ThebookincludesanintroductioncontainingasummaryofthehistoryofIndian
epistemology,anoverviewofKuma¯rila’sphilosophy,andaseparatesynopsisand
analysis of Kuma¯rila’s text. It is a valuable contribution to the field of Indian
philosophicalstudies.
JohnTaberisAssociateProfessorofPhilosophyattheUniversityofNewMexico,
whereheteachescoursesinAsianthoughtandcontinentalphilosophy.Hisresearch
has focused on the history of Indian philosophy, especially logic, epistemology,
andmetaphysicsduringtheclassicalperiod, 500–1200ce. Heisalsotheauthor
of TransformativePhilosophy:AStudyofS´an˙kara,Fichte,andHeidegger.
ROUTLEDGECURZON HINDU STUDIES SERIES
Serieseditor:FrancisX.Clooney,SJ
O C H S
TheRoutledgeCurzonHinduStudiesSeries,inassociationwiththeOxfordCentre
forHinduStudies, intendsprimarilythepublicationofconstructiveHindutheo-
logical,philosophicalandethicalprojectsaimedatbringingHindutraditionsinto
dialoguewithcontemporarytrendsinscholarshipandcontemporarysociety,and
withtheparticularconcernsofHinduslivinginIndiaandabroadtoday.Theseries
alsoinvitesproposalsforannotatedtranslationsofimportantprimarysourcesand
studiesinthehistoryoftheHindureligioustraditions.
EPISTEMOLOGIESANDTHELIMITATIONSOF
PHILOSOPHICALINQUIRY
DoctrineinMadhvaVedanta
DeepakSarma
AHINDUCRITIQUEOFBUDDHISTEPISTEMOLOGY
Kuma¯rilaonperception
The“DeterminationofPerception”chapterof
Kuma¯rilaBhat.t.a’sS´lokava¯rttika
Translationandcommentary
JohnTaber
A HINDU CRITIQUE OF
BUDDHIST
EPISTEMOLOGY
¯
Kumarila on perception
The “Determination of Perception” chapter of
¯ ´ ¯
Kumarila Bhatta’s Slokavarttika
..
Translation and commentary
John Taber
Firstpublished2005
byRoutledgeCurzon
2ParkSquare,MiltonPark,Abingdon,OxonOX144RN
SimultaneouslypublishedintheUSAandCanada
byRoutledgeCurzon
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FOR DEB

CONTENTS
Seriesforeword ix
Preface xi
Introduction 1
ThePratyaks.aparicchedaincontext 1
TheargumentofthePratyaks.apariccheda 15
Kuma¯rilaversusDharmak¯ırtionconceptualizedperception 29
ThePratyaks.aparicchedaandmodernphilosophy:
Kuma¯rila’scritiqueoftheSuperimpositionTheory 38
1 “TheDeterminationofPerception”(Pratyaks.apariccheda):text
andcommentary,part1 44
1.1 CritiqueoftheinterpretationofM¯ıma¯m.sa¯su¯tra1.1.4as
adefinitionofperception 44
1.2 Thecorrectinterpretationofthesu¯traasarejectionof
yogicperception;theconstrualoftheword
‘existing’(sat) 51
1.3 Discussionoftheterm‘connection’;theproblemof
perception atadistance 58
1.4 Discussionoftheexpression‘ofaperson’ 64
1.5 Discussionoftheexpression‘thearisingofacognition’ 66
1.6 Theidentificationoftheprama¯n.a 70
1.7 RefutationoftheBuddhistidentificationof
prama¯n.aandphala 78
1.8 Summary 83
1.9 Therelationofperceptiontotheotherprama¯n.as 84
vii
CONTENTS
2 “TheDeterminationofPerception”(Pratyaks.apariccheda):
textandcommentary,part2 93
2.1 Thedefenseofconceptualizedperception:introduction 93
2.2 CritiqueoftheAdvaitaVeda¯ntapositionthat
nonconceptualizedperceptionapprehendsthehighest
universal 94
2.3 Defenseofconceptualizedperceptionagainstinitial
Buddhistobjections 96
2.4 Theroleofthemindinconceptualizedperception 101
2.5 Conceptualizedperceptionsarenoterroneous
cognitions 106
2.5.1 Therelationofpropertyandproperty-bearer 106
2.5.2 Theunityoftheobjectofdifferentsenses 112
2.5.3 Conceptualizedcognitionsdonotinvolvethefalse
superimpositionofaworduponitsmeaning 118
2.5.3.1 Wehaveindependent,nonlinguistic
cognitionsofobjects 118
2.5.3.2 Absurdconsequencesofthesuperimposition
doctrine 126
2.5.3.3 Anindependentawarenessofmeaningis
essentialforlearninglanguage 131
2.5.3.4 Itisimpossibletoconfusewordand
meaning 133
2.5.3.5 FurtherargumentsagainsttheSuperimposition
Theory 135
2.5.4 Evenifconceptualizedcognitionsinvolved
superimpositiontheywouldnotnecessarilybefalse 136
2.6 Conceptualizedperceptionsarenotmemories 140
2.7 Aconceptualizedperceptiondoesnotattributesomething
totheobjectthatdoesnotbelongtoit 143
2.8 Conclusion:theotherprama¯n.asarebasedon
perception 145
Appendix:theSanskrittextofthePratyaks.apariccheda 149
Notes 163
Bibliography 239
Index 251
viii
SERIES FOREWORD
TheRoutledgeCurzonHinduStudiesSeries, publishedincollaborationwiththe
OxfordCentreforHinduStudies,intendsprimarilythepublicationofconstructive
Hindutheological,philosophical,andethicalprojects.Thefocusisonissuesand
concernsofrelevancetoreadersinterestedinHindutraditionsandawiderrangeof
relatedreligiousconcernsthatmatterintoday’sworld.TheSeriesseekstopromote
excellentscholarshipand,inrelationtoit,anopenandcriticalconversationamong
scholars and the wider audience of interested readers. Though contemporary in
itspurpose,theSeriesalsorecognizestheimportanceofacontemporaryretrieval
of the classic texts and ideas, beliefs and practices, of Hindu traditions. One of
its goals then is the promotion of fresh conversations about what has mattered
traditionally.
It is therefore most fitting that John Taber’s A Hindu Critique of Buddhist
Epistemology:Kuma¯rilaonPerceptionshouldbeoneofthefirstvolumesinthe
Series.M¯ıma¯m.sa¯ritualthinkingandexegesis,traditionallylistedasoneofthesix
majorsystemsofHindutheologyandphilosophy(dars´ana), isasuperlativeand
uniquely Indian mode of thought. As Taber explains in his own Preface and his
Introduction,Kuma¯rilaBhat.t.aisnotonlyaleadingM¯ıma¯m.sa¯thinker,butalsoone
of the leading intellectuals of the Indian tradition, a formidable exemplar of the
intellectualrigor, analysis, andargumentationforwhichIndiaisrightlyfamous.
Although Kuma¯rila’s S´lokava¯rttika – of which a major chapter is translated and
interpretedhere–hasbeenavailableinEnglishfornearlyacentury,sogreataclas-
sicdeservesthebenefitofmultiplerenderingsinEnglish,andindeedhaslongbeen
inneedofathoroughlyaccuratetranslationandelaboration.Taber’spainstaking
yetlucidtranslation,accompaniedbyvaluablenotes,bringsKuma¯rila’sarguments
tolife,inawaythatisaccessibleevenforsomeonewhoisnotamasterofSanskrit,
whilestillsatisfyingtrainedSanskritists.
AsreadersunfamiliarwithKuma¯rilaBhat.t.agraduallyfindtheirwayintothis
demanding but richly rewarding treatise on perception, they may at first won-
der whether and how this technical argumentation enhances our knowledge of
Hindureligioustraditions,eventheritualtraditionsconnectedwithM¯ıma¯m.sa¯.Yet
AHinduCritiqueofBuddhistEpistemologyclearlyilluminesanimportantdimen-
sionoftheHindutraditions–inpartsimplybyshowingusaleadingBrahmanical
ix