Contemporary Relevance Of Tarka Shastra

A person’s worldview plays a crucial role in shaping the course of their life. This worldview is built on one’s understanding of the world, which is fundamentally grounded in knowledge.

Tarka Shastra, also known as Pramana Shastra, delves into the processes and means by which knowledge arises. By studying Tarka Shastra, learners develop meta-cognitive skills—the ability to analyze and reflect on how they themselves acquire knowledge. This, in turn, enhances their overall understanding of the world.

The Amarakosha refers to Tarka Shastra as:

आन्वीक्षिकी दण्डनीतिस्तर्कविद्यार्थशास्त्रयोः
Tarka Shastra, or Nyaya Vidya, is also known as Anvikshiki. Chanakya, in his Arthashastra, highlights its importance with the verse:

प्रदीपः सर्वविद्यानामुपायः सर्वकर्मणाम् |
आश्रयः सर्वधर्माणां शाश्वतान्वीक्षिकी मता ||

Anvikshiki is likened to a lamp that illuminates everything within its reach. The concepts and methodologies outlined in Tarka Shastra not only enhance one’s comprehension of other shastras but also provide a foundation for writing them. Many of the technical terms and methods found in Tarka Shastra are employed in the creation of other scholarly texts.

Furthermore, students of Tarka Shastra develop key skills in critical thinking, logical reasoning, debate, and precise definition-making. Chanakya asserts that Anvikshiki, along with Trayi (the Vedas), Varta (commerce), and Dandaneeti (statecraft), are four essential disciplines that everyone should study. The fact that Anvikshiki is listed first highlights its foundational role in understanding the other fields of knowledge.

In this discussion, we will explore how the principles of Tarka Shastra maintain their relevance in the contemporary world, fostering critical thinking and deeper understanding across various domains of knowledge.

Speakers

Dr. Jammalamadaka Srinivas

Scholar - IKS Courses, Siddhanta Knowledge Foundation

Srinivas Jammalamadaka studied Nyaya/Tarka Shastra under Sri. Ambadipudi Radhe Shyama Shastri, Advaita Vedanta under Sri. R. Mani David's Sastrigal, and Vyakarana under Sri. Ganti Dattatreya Murthy. He has completed the Tenali exams in Tarka Shastra and appeared for the Tenali exams in Advaita Vedanta. He has completed MPhil & PhD in Nyaya shastra. He is presently the Assistant Professor at the School of Shastric Learning, Kavikulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University, Ramtek. He has been conferred awards such as - Tarka-Ratnam & Vidwan Mani by Sri Kanchi Shankaracharya, Shastrakalanidhi by Madhya Pradesh State Governor.