Nyaya Vaisheshika

Two significant branches of philosophy are Nyaya and Vaisheshika. Vaisheshika is linked to the Nyaya philosophical system. Both systems see the freedom of the individual self as the ultimate aim; both see ignorance as the source of all suffering and unhappiness, and both think that liberation can only be achieved through the proper understanding of reality. Let us know about Nyaya and Vaisheshika separately for better understanding.

Nyaya

Nyaya is one of India’s six orthodox schools of philosophy. In Sanskrit, these systems are known as daranas. The Nyaya system is a logical philosophy. Though it was originally formally recorded by Gotama Buddha in the third century B.C., its past spans more than two millennia as later writers and commentators elaborated on the original writings. 

The efforts of Udayana in the 10th century C.E. are particularly noteworthy, as he wrote a treatise called Nyayakusumanjali that attempts to prove the existence of God using the Nyaya system. It is, in essence, a treatise elaborating on the design argument.

The term Nyaya refers to the process of leading one’s thoughts to a conclusion. Reason and argument lead us to our conclusions. Since the word Nyaya is normally used to signify right’, Nyaya as a system has evolved to mean the science of proper thinking.

The following are ways to get knowledge (pramna), according to Nyaya:

1. Direct perception (pratyaksa)
2. Inference (anumna)
3. Analogy or comparison (upamna)
4. Oral testimony or knowledge (sabda).

To learn knowledge, one can employ any or a mixture of these four strategies in everyday life.

Nyaya’s relation with other schools

Some of the Nyaya school’s philosophy and human suffering roots are shared with Buddhism; nevertheless, Buddhism argues that there is no such thing as a soul or a person. The Nyaya school, like other Hindu schools, believes in the existence of a soul and self, with liberation (moksha) defined as the eradication of ignorance and incorrect knowledge, the acquisition of true knowledge, and the unhindered continuing of self.

Vaisheshika

The name Vaisheshika comes from the Sanskrit word visesa, which means ‘particularity’.

Its focus is on the theory of particulars and, as a result, it is pluralistic in outlook. The sage Kanada founded it in approximately 300 B.C., making it older than the Nyaya school.

It is essentially an early effort at an atomic theory of the cosmos and, as a result, it does not mention ‘God’. However, later commentators believed that atoms alone could not have created an orderly universe, so they proposed that a ‘God’ supervises the atoms’ activities.

This approach divides the universe into six dravya or substance types (padrthas):

• Quality, or guna
• Karma, or deeds
• Samanya, or that which makes up a genus
•     Coherence, or samavya

Visesha, or the quality that distinguishes it from others.

Vaisheshika’s relation with other schools

The Vaisheshika system resembles the Nyaya school of Hinduism in philosophical methods, ethical conclusions, and soteriology over time, but differs in epistemology and metaphysics.

The Vaisheshika school of Hinduism’s epistemology, like Buddhism’s, allow just two trustworthy methods of knowledge: observation and inference.

The Vaisheshika school and Buddhism both regard their respective texts as undeniable and dependable sources of knowledge, with the exception that Vaisheshikas regard the Vedas as a genuine and reliable source.

Comparison between Nyaya and Vaisheshika

 Nyaya-Vaisheshika

The Nyaya school of Hinduism is closer to the Vaisheshika school than the others. It asserts that human suffering is caused by errors/defects caused by an activity carried out under incorrect information, such as concepts and ignorance. Moksha, also known as liberation, is attained via the acquisition of correct knowledge. 

This premise led Nyaya to focus on epistemology or trustworthy means of gaining the right information and removing false beliefs. To the Naiyyayikas, false knowledge encompasses not just ignorance but also delusion. Correct knowledge entails recognising and conquering delusions, as well as comprehending the true nature of the soul, self, and reality.

Similarities between Nyaya and Vaisheshika

The Nyaya and Vaisheshika schools have a lot in common as well:

1. They agree that the presence of a supreme being can be demonstrated logically.
2. They both think that the Vedas, rather than being authorless, were written by that highest entity.
3. They both believe that natural elements are eternal and do not arise from Prakriti or Brahman, for example.

They shared so much in common that they finally ceased to exist as separate philosophical systems and united into Navya Nyaya, a unified philosophy.

Differences between Nyaya and Vaisheshika

There are two major differences between Nyaya and Vaisheshika, as follows:

To begin with, Nyaya recognises four separate sources of knowledge: perception, comparison, inference, and testimony. However, the Vaisheshika only recognises two: perception and inference, and it limits comparison and verbal evidence to perception and inference.

Second, the Naiyyayikas propose a list of sixteen parathas that, in their opinion, cover the entirety of actuality and include those approved by another system. The Vaisheshikas, on the other hand, identify only seven parathas and are aware of all reals that fall under them.

Conclusion

Vaisheshika is linked to the Nyaya philosophical system. Both systems embrace the individual self’s freedom as the ultimate aim; both see ignorance as the root of all suffering and unhappiness; and both think that liberation can only be achieved through correct knowledge of reality. 

After the 10th century A.D., i.e. after the time of Udayana, these two schools moved closer together and merged to form a new school known as Nyaya-Vaisheshika. Udayana was the final representative of the earlier era of these systems. But it was Udayana who, by recognising these systems as one entire school, cleared the ground for their syncretism. 

It is said that Udayana regarded Nyaya and Vaisheshika not as two independent systems but as one continuous school. He has combined Vaisheshika’s ontology with Nyaya’s epistemology in an attempt to achieve syncretism between the two.