Number of Pramāṇas

Summary

How many valid means of knowledge exist? This question has preoccupied Indian philosophers for centuries. In this article the author examines Bhartṛhari’s view on pramāṇas, or sources of knowledge. Drawing on recent scholarship, the essay argues that Bhartṛhari primarily accepts three pramāṇas: perception (pratyakṣa), inference (anumāna) and authoritative testimony or scripture (āgama)https://jaingpt.org/knowledge/number_of_pramanas_according_to_bhartrhari_269583_269583#:~:text=The%20article%20explores%20the%20number,%C4%81gama. It notes that, unlike some other schools, Bhartṛhari emphasises the interdependence of these means rather than their strict separationhttps://jaingpt.org/knowledge/number_of_pramanas_according_to_bhartrhari_269583_269583#:~:text=,layered%20nature. The article discusses why intuitional insight (pratibhā) and implication (arthāpatti) are not considered independent pramāṇas in his system, although they play important roles in understanding language and meaninghttps://jaingpt.org/knowledge/number_of_pramanas_according_to_bhartrhari_269583_269583#:~:text=,of%20awareness%20of%20implied%20meaning. The author also summarises scholarly debates about whether Bhartṛhari accepted two or three pramāṇas, ultimately concluding that the threefold interpretation is more consistent with textual evidencehttps://jaingpt.org/knowledge/number_of_pramanas_according_to_bhartrhari_269583_269583#:~:text=Ashok%20Aklujkar%20concludes%20that%20the,and%20concepts%20like%20pratibh%C4%81%20are. The article places this discussion within the broader context of Indian epistemology and highlights how the number of pramāṇas varies across schools—from the two recognised by some Grammarians to the eight or ten accepted in later Nyāya texts.