Nyāyabindu 1, pratyakṣa

॥ अथाचार्यधर्य कीर्तय र्िरर्चते न्यार्र्िन्दु प्रकरणे प्रत्यक्षपररच्छे दः प्रथर्ः ॥

|| athācāryadharmakīrtiviracite nyāyabinduprakaraṇe pratyakṣaparicchedaḥ prathamaḥ ||
In the treatise ‘Drop of Proper Reasoning’, composed by Ācārya Dharmakīrti, here begins the First
Chapter, on ‘Sense-proximity’

सम्यग्ज्ञानपूर्विका सविपुरुषार्िससर्िरिर्ि िद्वयुत्पाद्यिे। १ र्द्वर्वधं सम्यग्ज्ञानम्। २ प्रत्यक्षमनुमानं

चेर्ि। ३ ित्र प्रत्यक्षं कल्पनापोढमभ्रान्तम्। ४ असिलापसं सर्ियोग्यप्रर्ििासा प्रिीर्ििः कल्पना ५ िया
िर्ििं र्िर्मिाशुभ्रमणनौयानसं क्षोिाद्यनार्ििर्वभ्रमं ञानं प्रत्यक्षम्।६ िच्चिुर्विधम्। ७ इसियञानम्।
८ स्वर्वषयानन्तिर्वषयसिकारिणेसियञानेन समनन्तिप्रत्ययेन जर्निं िन्मनोर्वञानम्। ९
सविसचत्तचैत्तानामात्मसं वेदनम्। १० िूिार्ििावनाप्रकषिपयिन्तजं योर्र्ञानं चेर्ि।११ िस्य र्वषयिः
स्वलक्षणम्। १२ यस्यार्िस्य सर्िधानासर्िधानाभ्ां ञानप्रर्ििासिेदस्तत्स्वलक्षणम्। १३ िदे व
पिमार्िसि्। १४ अर्िर्ियासामर्थ्िलक्षणत्वाद्वस्तुनिः।१५ अन्यि् सामान्यलक्षणम् १६ सो ऽनुमानस्य
र्वषयिः।१७ िदे व च प्रत्यक्षं ञानं प्रमाणफलम्। १८ अर्िप्रिीर्िरूपत्वाि्।१९ अर्िसारूप्यमस्य
प्रमाणम्।२० िद्वशादर्िप्रिीर्िससििेर्ि। २१

samyagjñānapūrvikā sarvapuruṣārthasiddhir iti tad vyutpādyate 1.1 dvividhaṃ samyagjñānam

1.2 pratyakṣam anumānaṃ ceti 1.3 tatra pratyakṣaṃ kalpanāpoḍham abhrāntam 1.4
abhilāpasaṃsargayogyapratibhāsā pratītiḥ kalpanā 1.5 tayā rahitaṃ
timirāśubhramaṇanauyānasaṃkṣobhādyanāhitavibhramaṃ jñānaṃ pratyakṣam 1.6 tac
caturvidham 1.7 indriyajñānam 1.8 svaviṣayānantaraviṣayasahakāriṇendriyajñānena
samanantarapratyayena janitaṃ tan manovijñānam 1.9 sarvacittacaittānām ātmasaṃvedanam
1.10 bhūtārthabhāvanāprakarṣaparyantajaṃ yogijñānaṃ ceti 1.11 tasya viṣayaḥ svalakṣaṇam
1.12 yasyārthasya saṃnidhānāsaṃnidhānābhyāṃ jñānapratibhāsabhedas tat svalakṣaṇam 1.13
tad eva paramārthasat 1.14 arthakriyāsāmarthyalakṣaṇatvād vastunaḥ 1.15 anyat
sāmānyalakṣaṇam 1.16 so ‘numānasya viṣayaḥ 1.17 tad eva ca pratyakṣaṃ jñānaṃ
pramāṇaphalam 1.18 arthapratītirūpatvāt 1.19 arthasārūpyam asya pramāṇam 1.20 tadvaśād
arthapratītisiddher iti 1.21
सम्यग्ज्ञानपूर्विका सविपुरुषार्िससर्िरिर्ि िद्वयुत्पाद्यिे। १

samyagjñānapūrvikā sarvapuruṣārthasiddhir iti tad vyutpādyate 1.1

The accomplishment of all human aims is preceded by right awareness: thus, the latter will be
explained.
samyak-jñāna-pūrvikā | preceded (pūrvikā) by right (samyak) awareness (jñāna) ||
sarva-puruṣa-artha-siddhiḥ | the accomplishment (siddhi) of all (sarva) human
(puruṣa) aims (artha) || iti | therefore, thus || tat | that || vyutpādyate | is explained ||

र्द्वर्वधं सम्यग्ज्ञानम्। २

dvividhaṃ samyagjñānam 1.2

Right awareness is twofold:
dvividham | two-fold || samyak-jñānam | right awareness ||

प्रत्यक्षमनुमानं चेर्ि। ३

pratyakṣam anumānaṃ ceti 1.3

Sense-proximity and subsequent validation.
pratyakṣam | sense (akṣa)-proximity (prati) || anumānam | subsequent (anu) validation
(māna) || ca | and || iti || marks end of quote |

ित्र प्रत्यक्षं कल्पनापोढमभ्रान्तम्। ४

tatra pratyakṣaṃ kalpanāpoḍham abhrāntam 1.4

Among these two, sense-proximity is free from concepts and not erroneous.
tatra | among these two || pratyakṣam | sense-proximity || kalpanā-apoḍham | free from
(apoḍha) concepts (kalpanā) || a-bhrāntam | not erroneous, unerring

असिलापसं सर्ियोग्यप्रर्ििासा प्रिीर्ििः कल्पना ५

abhilāpasaṃsargayogyapratibhāsā pratītiḥ kalpanā 1.5

A ‘concept’ is a perception whose appearance is fit to be joined to verbal expressions.
abhilāpa-saṁsarga-yogya-pratibhāsā | whose appearance (pratibhāsā) is fit (yogya) to
be joined (saṁsarga) to verbal expression (abhilāpa)
िया िर्ििं र्िर्मिाशुभ्रमणनौयानसं क्षोिाद्यनार्ििर्वभ्रमं ञानं प्रत्यक्षम्।६

tayā rahitaṃ timirāśubhramaṇanauyānasaṃkṣobhādyanāhitavibhramaṃ jñānaṃ pratyakṣam

1.6
An awareness that is bereft of that, and in which no such error as eye-diseases, fast turning,
boat-rides, or disturbances, etc., is placed, is ‘sense-proximity’.
tayā | of that (concept) || rahitam | bereft of || timira-āśubhramaṇa-nauyāna-
saṁkṣobha-ādi-anāhita-vibhramam | in which such errors (vibhrama) as eye-disease
(timira), fast turning (āśu-bhramaṇa), boat-rides (nau-yāna) or disturbances
(saṁkṣobha), etc. (ādi) are not placed (an-āhita) || jñānam | awareness || pratyakṣam |
sense-proximity ||

िच्चिुर्विधम्। ७

tac caturvidham 1.7

That is fourfold:
tat | that (sense-proximity) || caturvidham | fourfold ||

इसियञानम्। ८

indriyajñānam 1.8
Faculty-awareness;
indriya-jñānam | sense-faculty (indriya) awareness (jñāna)

स्वर्वषयानन्तिर्वषयसिकारिणेसियञानेन समनन्तिप्रत्ययेन जर्निं िन्मनोर्वञानम्। ९

svaviṣayānantaraviṣayasahakāriṇendriyajñānena samanantarapratyayena janitaṃ tan

manovijñānam 1.9
The ‘mentality-consciosuness’ generated by a faculty-awareness as the immediately
contiguous condition, with a domain, contiguous to one’s own domain, being its concurrent
causal factor;
sva-viṣaya-anantara-viṣaya-sahakāriṇā | a domain (viṣaya) contiguous (anantara) to
one’s own domain (sva-viṣaya) being its concurrent causal factor (saha-kāriṇā) ||
indriya-jñānena | by a faculty-awareness || samanantara-pratyayena | as the
immediately contiguous (samanantara) condition (pratyaya) || janitam | generated || tat
| that || manaḥ-vijñānam | mentality-consciousness
सविसचत्तचैत्तानामात्मसं वेदनम्। १०

sarvacittacaittānām ātmasaṃvedanam 1.10

The self-awareness of all mind and mental factors.
sarva-citta-caittānām | of all (sarva) mind (citta) and mental factors (caitta) || ātma-
saṁvedanam | self- (ātma) awareness (saṁvedanam)

िूिार्ििावनाप्रकषिपयिन्तजं योर्र्ञानं चेर्ि।११

bhūtārthabhāvanāprakarṣaparyantajaṃ yogijñānaṃ ceti 1.11
And the awareness of yogins, generated by the ultimate excellence of meditation on a real
referent.
bhūta-artha-bhāvanā-prakarṣa-paryanta-jam | generated (ja) by the ultimate (paryanta)
excellence (prakarṣa) in meditation (bhāvanā) on a real (bhūta) referent (artha)

िस्य र्वषयिः स्वलक्षणम्। १२

tasya viṣayaḥ svalakṣaṇam 1.12

Its domain is the own-defining-trait.
tasya | its (i.e. of that sense-proximity) || viṣayaḥ | domain, object, range || sva-lakṣaṇam | the
own (sva) defining trait (lakṣaṇa)

यस्यार्िस्य सर्िधानासर्िधानाभ्ां ञानप्रर्ििासिेदस्तत्स्वलक्षणम्। १३

yasyārthasya saṃnidhānāsaṃnidhānābhyāṃ jñānapratibhāsabhedas tat svalakṣaṇam 1.13

That referent for whom there is a difference in the appearance of its awareness due to
proximity or non-proximity is the own-defining-trait.
yasya | for whom || arthasya | for he referent, object || saṁnidhāna-asaṁnidhānābhyām | due
to proximity (saṁnidhāna) or non-proximity (a-saṁnidhāna) || jñāna-pratibhāsa-bhedaḥ | a
difference (bheda) in the appearance (pratibhāsa) of awareness (jñāna) || tat | that || sva-
lakṣaṇam | own (sva) defining trait (lakṣaṇam)
िदेव पिमार्िसि्। १४

tad eva paramārthasat 1.14

Only this is ultimately existent.
tat | that || eva | only || parama-artha-sat | ultimately (parama-artha) sat (existent); existent in
the ultimate sense

अर्िर्ियासामर्थ्िलक्षणत्वाद्वस्तुनिः।१५

arthakriyāsāmarthyalakṣaṇatvād vastunaḥ 1.15

This is because the defining trait of something real is a capacity for efficacy.
artha-kriyā-sāmarthya-lakṣaṇatvāt | because of having the defining trait (lakṣaṇatva) of a
capacity (sāmarthya) for efficacy (artha-kriyā) || vastunaḥ | on the part of something real ||

अन्यि् सामान्यलक्षणम् १६

anyat sāmānyalakṣaṇam 1.16

That which is other than that is the commonality-defining-trait.
anyat | that which is other than that || sāmānya-lakṣaṇam | commonality-(sāmānya) defining-
trait (lakṣaṇa)

सो ऽनुमानस्य र्वषयिः।१७
so ‘numānasya viṣayaḥ 1.17
That is the domain of subsequent validation.
saḥ | that (i.e. the commonality-defining trait) || anumānasya | of subsequent validation ||
viṣayaḥ | domain, object, range

िदेव च प्रत्यक्षं ञानं प्रमाणफलम्। १८

tad eva ca pratyakṣaṃ jñānaṃ pramāṇaphalam 1.18

And that very sense-proximity-awareness is the result of accurate validation.
tat | that || eva | itself, very, only || pratyakṣam | sense-proximity || jñānam | awareness ||
pramāṇa-phalam | result (phalam) of accurate (pra-) validation (-māṇa)
अर्िप्रिीर्िरूपत्वाि्।१९

arthapratītirūpatvāt 1.19
This is because it has the nature of perceiving a referent.
artha-pratīti-rūpatvāt | this because it has the nature (rūpatva) of perceiving (pratīti) a referent
(artha)

अर्िसारूप्यमस्य प्रमाणम्।२०

arthasārūpyam asya pramāṇam 1.20

Its ‘accurate validation’ consists in conformity to its referent.
artha-sārūpyam | conformity (sārūpya) to its referent (artha) || asya | its || pramāṇam | accurate
validation

िद्वशादर्िप्रिीर्िससििेर्ि। २१

tadvaśād arthapratītisiddher iti 1.21

This is because the establishment of perception of a referent is thanks to that.
tat-vaśāt | thanks to that || artha-pratīti-siddheḥ | because of the establishment (siddheḥ) of
perception (pratīti) of a referent (artha) || iti | marks quotation ||

इत्याचार्यधर्य कीर्तय र्िरर्चते न्यार्र्िन्दु प्रकरणे प्रत्यक्षपररच्छे दः प्रथर्ः ॥

ity ācāryadharmakīrtiviracite nyāyabinduprakaraṇe pratyakṣaparicchedaḥ prathamaḥ ||
In the treatise ‘Drop of Proper Reasoning’, composed by Ācārya Dharmakīrti, this was the First
Chapter, on ‘Sense-proximity’