Introduction To Indian Knowledge System1

Pramāṇa Worksheet
What could be the appropriate pramāṇa(s) for the following? (For the purposes of this
assignment, consider arthāpatti and anupalabdhi as separate pramāṇas)
1. Happiness: Pratyakṣa (Internal perception is possible because manas is also a sense
organ).
2. Heaven: Śabda
3. Discovery of Monkey Pox virus: Pratyakṣa
4. Existence of Monkey Pox virus in a person: Anumāna (based on symptoms)
5. Updates on Russia-Ukraine conflict: Śabda
6. Hanuman identifying Sita: Arthāpatti
7. Solving Sudoku: Anumāna
8. Stress on a particular section of a beam: Anumāna
9. Identifying an ‘egg plant’ in the market (having never seen it before): Upamāna
10. That the external angle on a side of a triangle is equal to sum of the interior angles
on the opposite side: Anumāna
11. That there is no star other than the sun in our solar system: Anupalabdhi.
12. Operation in progress based on red light glowing outside the operation theatre:
Arthāpatti (there is no invariable relation between the two events, someone may be
accidentally left the light on or it may have malfunctioned).
13. The quality of a movie based on critics’ reviews: Śabda (more appropriate) or
Arthāpatti
14. The quality of a movie based on audience’s reviews: Arthāpatti (cannot be Śabda
since audience is not authoritative source)
15. Presence of salt in a dish: Pratyakṣa
16. Absence of salt in a dish: Anupalabdhi
17. Learning to play Call of Duty after playing Counter Strike: Upamāna

1
This worksheet has been prepared specifically for the course IK3002D, Introduction to Indian Knowledge
Systems, NIT Calicut, offered during odd semester of the academic year 2022-23. It is meant for internal
circulation only. Please contact the other before sharing externally. (R. Venkata Raghavan, Assistant Professor,
Centre for Indian Knowledge Systems, Chanakya University, Bengaluru.
raghavan.rv@chanakyauniversity.edu.in)
18. A body remains at rest, or in motion at a constant speed in a straight line, unless
acted upon by a force (assume Classical Mechanism): Śabda
19. That the surface (of the table) is not flat: Anupalabdhi
20. Magnitude of current passing through the circuit: Anumāna
21. Schrödinger's cat thought experiment to show the problems of the Copenhagen
interpretation of quantum mechanics: Tarka (hypothetical reasoning. This is not a
pramāna. This is a trick question).
22. 1 + 1 = 2: Anumāna
23. Arrival of Summer based on seeing the blooming of Kannikkonna (Cassia Fistula,
Kondrai Pū): Arthapātti (more appropriate) or Anumāna (less appropriate)
24. That all metals expand on heating: Pratyakṣa (a special form of perception)
25. Finding if rice is cooked by tasting a few grains: Anumāna