This work emerges from a sustained engagement with one of the most profound questions in Indian epistemology: how do we come to know through the medium of words? The question of Shabda Pramana - verbal testimony as a valid means of knowledge - has occupied the greatest minds of the Indian philosophical tradition for over two millennia, yet its relevance to contemporary debates in epistemology, philosophy of language, and hermeneutics remains remarkably vital.

My interest in comparing the Nyaya and Mimamsa perspectives on verbal testimony began during my doctoral research at the University of Lucknow, where I was struck by the sophistication with which these two schools approached questions that Western philosophy has only recently come to appreciate fully. The Naiyayikas and Mimamsakas did not merely debate whether words convey knowledge; they developed comprehensive philosophical systems addressing the nature of language, the structure of meaning, the conditions of semantic comprehension, and the metaphysical foundations of linguistic authority.

The Nyaya school, with its emphasis on the trustworthy speaker (Apta) and its rigorous criteria for testimonial reliability, offers what we might today call a naturalistic or agent-based account of testimonial knowledge. For the Naiyayikas, words convey knowledge because and insofar as they come from speakers whose cognitive and moral reliability has been established. The Mimamsa school, by contrast, grounds testimonial authority not in any speaker but in the eternal, authorless nature of language itself - a position of breathtaking philosophical audacity that continues to challenge and stimulate.

I have written this study with several audiences in mind. For scholars of Indian philosophy, I hope to provide a clear and systematic comparison of these two traditions that moves beyond mere description to genuine philosophical analysis. For philosophers working in epistemology and philosophy of language in the analytic tradition, I hope to demonstrate that the Indian discussions of testimony, meaning, and linguistic authority anticipate and enrich contemporary debates in ways that deserve serious engagement.

Throughout this work, I have drawn extensively on the foundational texts - the Nyaya Sutras of Gautama, the Mimamsa Sutras of Jaimini, and their major commentaries - as well as on the rich secondary literature in both traditional Sanskrit scholarship and contemporary philosophy of religion and language. The works of B.K. Matilal, J.N. Mohanty, Jonardon Ganeri, and Francis Clooney have been particularly indispensable guides through this complex philosophical terrain.

I am grateful to the faculty and colleagues at the University of Lucknow and Indira Gandhi National Open University whose discussions, criticisms, and encouragement have shaped this work at every stage. Any errors that remain are entirely my own.

It is my sincere hope that this study contributes to the ongoing dialogue between Indian and Western philosophical traditions, demonstrating that the deepest questions about knowledge, language, and authority are truly universal concerns that all philosophical traditions illuminate in their distinctive ways.

Ashish Rajpoot

India

5th March, 2026

"Synopsis" may belong to another edition of this title.

preigu

Osnabrück, Germany

5-star seller

AbeBooks seller since August 5, 2024

Shipping rates from Germany to U.S.A.

Item	60 to 60 business days	60 to 60 business days
First item	£ 59.02	£ 59.02

Delivery times are set by sellers and vary by carrier and location. Orders passing through Customs may face delays and buyers are responsible for any associated duties or fees. Sellers may contact you regarding additional charges to cover any increased costs to ship your items.

Payment methods

Paypal

Store description

preigu betreibt einen Onlineversandhandel mit über 1 Mio. Produkten in verschiedenen Sortimenten. Das Kernsortiment besteht aus Büchern, Medien und Spielwaren. Ein gelungenes Einkaufserlebnis ist das Ziel einer jeden Bestellung bei preigu, denn der Kunde und seine Zufriedenheit stehen an erster Stelle. preigu setzt daher auf einen kompetenten Kundenservice, funktionierende Prozesse und schnelle Reaktion.

Specialty

Bücher, Spielwaren

Seller's business information

preigu GmbH & Co. KG

Lengericher Landstraße 19
Osnabrück, Germany 49078

Contact sellerView this seller's itemsView seller's storefront

Terms of sale

About Us

Legal website operator identification:

preigu GmbH & Co. KG
Lengericher Landstr. 19
49078 Osnabrück
Germany

Telephone: +49 (0) 541 / 580 72 84
Email: mail@preigu.de

VAT No: DE 455 380 498
AG Osnabrück - HRA 209647

PhG: preigu Verwaltung GmbH
AG Osnabrück - HRB 221793
CEO: Ansas Meyer

We are neither willing nor obliged to participate in dispute resolution proceedings before consumer arbitration boards.

We are a member of the initiative "FairCommerce" since 30.11.2016.
For more information, see: https://www.haendlerbund.de/de/haendlerbund/interessenvertretung/faircommerce

Right of withdrawal

Instructions for revocation

Right of withdrawal for the sale of goods

Revocation right for consumers
(A ‘consumer' is any natural person who concludes a legal transaction which, to an overwhelming extent, cannot be attributed to either his commercial or independent professional activities.)

Instructions for revocation

Revocation right
You have the right to revoke this contract within 14 days without specifying any reasons.
The revocation period is 14 days with effect from the day,

on which you or a third party nominated by you, which is not the carrier, had taken possession of the products, provided you had ordered one or more products within the scope of a standard order and this/these product/products is/are delivered uniformly;
on which you or a third party nominated by you, which is not the carrier, had taken possession of the last product, provided you had ordered several products within the scope of a standard order and these products are delivered separately;
on which you or a third party nominated by you, which is not the carrier, had taken possession of the last part delivery or the last unit, provided you had ordered a product, which is delivered in several part deliveries or units;

To exercise your right of withdrawal, you must inform us (preigu GmbH & Co. KG, Lengericher Landstr. 19, 49078 Osnabrück, Telephone number: +49 (0) 541 / 580 72 84, E-Mail address: mail@preigu.de) by means of a clear declaration (e.g. a letter sent by post, or an e-mail) of your decision to withdraw from this contract. You can use the attached model withdrawal form for this purpose, which is, however, not mandatory.

You can also exercise your right of withdrawal online by clicking on a button labelled accordingly (such as ‘Withdraw from contract' or similar) on the AbeBooks/ZVAB website. If you use this online function, you will immediately receive a confirmation of receipt on a durable medium (e.g. via email) containing information on the content of the withdrawal notice, as well as the date and time of its receipt.

In order to safeguard the revocation period, it is sufficient that you send the notification about the exercise of the revocation right before the expiry of the revocation period.

Consequences of the revocation

If you revoke this contract, we shall repay all the payments, which we received from you, including the delivery costs (with the exception of additional costs, which arise from that fact that you selected a form of delivery other than the most reasonable standard delivery offered by us), immediately and at the latest within 14 days from the day on which we received the notification about the revocation of this contract from you. We use the same means of payment, which you had originally used during the original transaction, for this repayment unless expressly agreed otherwise with you; you will not be charged any fees owing to this repayment.

We can refuse the repayment until the products are returned to us or until you have furnished evidence that you have sent the products back to us, depending on whichever is earlier.

You must return or transfer the products to us immediately and, in any case, at the latest within 14 days with effect from the day on which you inform us of the revocation of this contract. The deadline is maintained if you send the products before the expiry of the 14 day deadline.

You bear the direct costs for returning the products.

You must pay for any depreciation of the products only if this depreciation can be attributed to any handling with you that was not necessary for checking the condition, features and functionality of the products.

Criteria for exclusion or expiry

The revocation right is not available for contracts

for delivery of products, which are not prefabricated and for whose manufacturing an individual selection or stipulation by the consumer is important or which are clearly tailored to the personal requirements of the consumer;
for delivery of products, which can spoil quickly or whose use-by date would be exceeded quickly;
for delivery of alcoholic drinks, whose price was agreed at the time of concluding the contract, which however can be delivered 30 days after the conclusion of the contract at the earliest and whose current value depends on the fluctuations in the market, on which the entrepreneur has no influence;
for delivery of newspapers, periodicals or magazines with the exception of subscription contracts. The revocation right expires prematurely in case of contracts
for delivery of sealed products, which are not suitable for return for reasons of health protection or hygiene if their seal has been removed after the delivery;
for delivery of products if they have been mixed inseparably with other goods after the delivery, owing to their condition;
for delivery of sound or video recording or computer software in a sealed package if the seal has been removed after the delivery.

Specimen - revocation form

(If you wish to revoke the contract, please fill up this form and send it back to us.)

To preigu GmbH & Co. KG, Lengericher Landstr. 19, 49078 Osnabrück, Email address: mail@preigu.de :
I/we () herewith revoke the contract concluded by me/ us () regarding the purchase of the following products ()/
the provision of the following service ()
Ordered on ()/ received on ()
Name of the consumer(s)
Address of the consumer(s)
Signature of the consumer(s) (only in case of a notification on paper)
Date

(*) Cross out the incorrect option.

SHABDPRAMANA in Nyaya and Mimansa

Item description from seller

Bibliographic details

Synopsis

About the title

About the Author