Abstract

AN EXPLORATORY STUDY OF UPAMANA PRAMANA FROM CARAKA SAMHITA W.S.R TO NIDANA STHANA

Aditi Soni*, Rina Sharma and Kamlesh Kumar Sharma

Abstract

Upamana Pramana, a key concept in Indian philosophy, refers to knowledge acquisition through analogies or comparisons. It is one of the most widely accepted pramana (Sources of knowledge) in various philosophical systems, including Nyaya, Vedanta, and Mimamsa. Upamana involves understanding something unknown by relating it to something known through shared characteristics or qualities and for instance, describing the symptoms of a disease by finding its similarities with different colours, shapes, etc. The application of Upamana is not only central to philosophical discourse but also crucial in the linguistic and cognitive development of individuals. Acharya Charaka has used Upamana in every Sthana of Charaka Samhita. This paper explores the theoretical underpinnings of Upamana Pramana in nidanasthana of Caraka Samhita, and its connection to other forms of knowledge acquisition within Indian epistemology.

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