41. 44. CHAPTER 1

44. CHAPTER 1

Purvavat and Sesavat are. It is based on uniformity of experience.

ERROR OR ILLUSION (VYABHICĀRI JÑĀNA) "Unerring" (Avyabhicari) is an essential part of Gautama's definition of valid perception. It is, therefore, in the commentary on definition of valid perception that Vatsyayana discusses the Nyaya Theory of error. Error1 consists in taking an object to be what it is not; taking "not-a" to be "a". For instance, when the hot rays of the summer sun come into contact with the sands of a desert and heat, rising from the heated sands of desert, vibrates, and comes into contact with the eyes of a person at a respectable distance, there arises the perception of water. This perception is an error, because in this case the percipient takes a thing to be what it is not. The causes of error may be stated as follows .- Every perception involves (i) the object (ii, the exter- nal medium such as light in the case of visual perception. (iii) the sense-organ, through which the object is perceived, (iv) Manas and (v) the cognising subject or soul. If any one of them does not function properly or be defective in any way, illusion arises. Thus the defect in the case of the object may be that it has close similarity with something else. For instance, mirage, because of its close similarity with water, is taken to be water : or mother of pearl, because of its similarity in respect of brilliance with silver, is taken to be silver. The defect in the medium, such as light in the case of visual perception, may be its dimness, because of which we cannot see clearly. Thus a person in dim light takes the dry trunk of a tree to be a man. The defect in the case of an organ of sense-perception may be that it suffers from some disease. A person, suffering

1. N. D., 14.