Tätparya Liìgas

Tätparya Liìgas are used for analyzing the ascertainment, purport or meaning conveyed in
scripture. This approach is used mainly for our own benefit and is therefore referred to as
svärtha anumäna, as opposed to the Païcäìga-nyäya which is known as parärtha-anumäna or
method used for convincing others.

To better understand the intent of the Tätparya Liìgas, let us consider the following analogy:
The government enact laws, but later in the course of their enforcement, doubts may arise
with regard to their intention. Another law is then enacted to settle its meaning; this is the
law of interpretation (mimäàsä). In this way Uttara-mimäàsä or Vedanta is the law of
interpretation for the Vedas, which constitute the eternal law of the Lord.

Thus, Tätparya Liìgas are certain indicators within the çastra/text itself that help determine
its purport. According to Mimäàsä çastra, there are six ways to determine the meaning of the
Vedic pronouncements or Veda-väkya. The äcäryas or commentators of çastra thus determine
the purport of the çastra by the principle of sad vidhaliìgas or six characteristic signs. These
six are known as the principle of sad vidhaliìgas or six characteristic signs, otherwise also
known as the Tätparya Liìgas.

These indicators are described in the following verse:

upakrama-upasaàhärau abhyäso ’pürvatä phalam

arthavädopappati ca liìgam tätparya-nirnaye
upakramopasaàhärau—the beginning and the end; abhyäsaù—repetition; apürvatä—uniqueness;
phalam—result; arthaväda-upapatti—praise and illustrations; ca—and; liìgam—indicators;
tätparya-nirëaya—in ascertaining the purport.
“The beginning and end, repetition, uniqueness, result, praise and illustrations are the six-fold
indicators in ascertaining the purport of a text.” (ref)

Thus, according to the above verse in order to understand any piece of Vedic literature, it is
essential to know the purport of its subject matter. For ascertaining the purport, one first
tries to grasp the meaning of what is said in the introduction and the conclusion of the
subject in question. One then looks for statements that are repeatedly stated; that praise the
subject matter; that give the uniqueness of the topic; and that convey the results. In addition,
one looks for illustrations used in the text to describe the subject in question.

To facilitate our understanding let us briefly dive into the sweet ocean of Vedanta philosophy:

The Tätparya Liìgas state that the concluding portion of a work contains its essence, thus
Vedanta being the concluding portion of the Vedas delineates the purpose of the Vedas.
Accordingly, though a variety of subjects are presented in the Vedas, all of them have the
singular purpose of leading us to the Vedantic enquiry into the Absolute Truth—athäto
brahma jijïäsä.

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Having established the purpose of the Vedas, let us analyze according to Tätparya Liìgas—the
Sixth Chapter of the Chändogya Upaniñad, which explicitly illustrates these six indicators as
discussed below:

1. Upakrama and upasaàhära – The harmony of the initial and concluding passages.
Upakrama means the initial part of a work, and upasaàhära, the conclusion. These
two refer to the beginning and the end of the topic, which reveal what is meant to be
conveyed. Thus, if the first and concluding parts of a work speak of the same idea, it
is to be taken as its subject.

a. Upakrama (Chändogya 6.2.1)

sadeva saumya idamagra äsét
“In the beginning, O dear one, all this was one truth alone.”
b. Upasaàhära (Chändogya 6.6.13)
aitadätmyam idaà sarvam
“The Absolute Truth is the self of everything.”

Both upakrama and upasaàhära indicate the nature of the Absolute Truth who is the
Supersoul of all.

2. Abhyäsa – Repetition. Refers to the subject matter that is repeatedly stated within a
topic. If the same idea or view is repeated in a work, it must be understood as the
main theme.

The mahä-väkya “tat tvam asi”—that thou art, which reveals the relationship of the
individual soul and the Supreme Lord, is repeated nine times using nine different
examples to establish simultaneous oneness and difference between the individual
soul and the Supersoul. This is also propounded by Lord Çré Caitanya Mahäprabhu as
the philosophy of acintya-bhedäbheda-tattva.

3. Apürvatä – Uniqueness. Denotes an idea mentioned for the first time. As background
information may be necessary to establish a new concept, so an idea expressed afresh
in the natural course of presentation is to be taken as the purpose or message
intended.

In connection to Chändogya Upaniñad, Apürvatä reveals the uniqueness of the subject

matter of the Vedas—that which is not known by any other means of knowledge. The
truth revealed by the mahä-väkya ‘tat tvam asi’ is the Apürvatä; for this statement
cannot be known by any other means of knowledge.

4. Phala – Objective or fruit; Phala is the result. If in the course of work, it is stated, “By
acting in this manner, you will gain such and such benefit,” the purpose of the work is
to persuade you to act in the manner suggested.

Phalam or the result mentioned in the text is knowledge of the Absolute Truth which
brings about mokña or liberation. The Upaniñad therefore, reveals the subject matter
to be known for self-realization. The text in Chändogya Upaniñad (6.14.2) goes as
follows:

äcäryavän puruño veda

tasya tävadeva ciraà yävanna vimokñye’ atha sampatsye
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 “The one who has got a teacher knows the truth. He is free in spite of his limited body. He is free
even from the material body once the body dies.”

5. Arthaväda – Eulogy, glorification by eulogistic or condemnatory passages. Arthaväda

is what is eulogized; if in narrating a story, a particular matter receives special praise.
This particular point must be regarded as the purpose of the work or speech in
question.

In this Upaniñad, Arthaväda refers to those statements that praise the subject matter.
Thus, the Absolute Truth is praised as being endowed with powers of creation,
sustenance and dissolution in verses 6.2.3, 6.8.4, and 6.8.6 respectively.

6. Upapatti – Logic. If a viewpoint is established through reasoning, it must be treated as

the subject of the work concerned.

In Chändogya Upaniñad, the upapatti refers to the principle by which the knowledge
of the Absolute Truth is logically supported by examples. One example is that of gold
and golden ornaments which is revealed in the Chändogya Upaniñad (6.1.5) as
follows:

yathä saumya ekena lohamaëinä sarvaà lohamayaà vijïätaà syät

“O dear one, just as by knowing one lump of gold, all ornaments made of gold becomes known.”

In the same manner, the Supreme Lord is the basis of everything. Knowing the Lord,
one becomes as well the knower of everything.

Thus, the purport of the Chändogya Upaniñad, Chapter Six, is ascertained by the six
indicators as revealing the relationship between the individual soul and the Supreme Lord,
who is the cause of everything, and the process to attain liberation is through devotional
service. In the same manner, the fourth topic of the Uttara mimäàsä sutras called
Phalädhyäya, unfolds this identity as describing the result of devotional service or prayojana-
jïäna.

Broad usage of Tätparya Liìgas

According to this system, passages that are of utmost importance are to be accepted in full.
While, preliminary or supporting portions are to be viewed in light of the points they are
meant to establish. Before speaking about a new concept, the çastras tell us about things
known to us in practical life and are secondary in importance. This is anuväda and it leads to
apürvatä. The çastras may contain stories told to impress upon us the importance of a
concept. The injunctions with which these stories are associated must be accepted in full, but
the stories themselves may not require to be brought into observance. This is the method of
arthaväda. Thus, anuväda and arthaväda are meant to bring us to the ultimate purpose or
message of the çastra.

Here is an example of an essay which illustrates the usage of Tätparya Liìgas

Analysis
Read the passage below and answer the questions.

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First Paragraph – “Political correctness is an attitude often adopted by contemporary men.
However, to achieve the ultimate goal of life, or any goal, for that matter, one must have a
commitment. Why are people often afraid to commit themselves to a goal, lifestyle or
philosophy? It is due to fear—fear if failure, fear of losing what one has, fear of the
consequences in making a decision, and fear of taking a stand.”

Second Paragraph – “One may be unable to make a commitment because one is afraid of not
succeeding. The person may wonder what will happen if one fails. Of course no one wants
to fail, but if one fails, it is not the end of the world either. If one fails, one can always try
harder next time, so there is no real need for political correctness.”

Third Paragraph – “The alternative or outcome of not making a commitment is to continue

without a direction in life, or simply being politically correct. The fact that one is not able to
make a commitment will bother one. Therefore, it is better to take the plunge and commit
oneself to a goal and give up political correctness. One’s whole life is a commitment; living is
a commitment; study is a commitment; marriage is a commitment; an appointment is a
commitment; and a word given is a commitment. The Vedic culture is a culture of
commitment. Political correctness is a way of illusion, allowing us to think that we are free
from commitment.”

Fourth Paragraph – “In the Rämayana, King Daçaratha told his queen, Kaikeya, that she could
ask him for any boon she desired. At the time of Räma’s coronation, Kaikeya encashed her
boon by asking that Räma be sent to the forest. Upon hearing Kaikeyi’s words, Daçaratha said
to Räma, “It is I who have given a word to Kaikeya, but you have a right to refuse to go to the
forest.” Lord Räma could have tried to wiggle out of the trouble by means of political
correctness. However, he did not give himself to weakness as he was a powerful king. Räma
chose to honour his father’s words and so he went to the forest. He sacrificed the kingdom,
which rightfully belonged to him, for the sake of a commitment to the given word above
political correctness. The story Rämayana praises a life of commitment.”

Fifth Paragraph – “Only by committing oneself to a goal is one able to achieve anything in
life. Freeing oneself from political correctness and committing to higher goals makes a
meaningful life.