Gaudiya Kanṭhahāra: Appendix and Conclusion

Śrīla Bhaktisiddhānta Saraswati Ṭhakura

শ্রী গৌड़िয-কন্ঠহার

Gaudiya Kanṭhahāra:

Appendix

Pramāna-Tattva

Epistemological Considerations

Being a compendium of quotations from revealed scriptures

concerning the truths about the cult of Chaitanya Mahāprabhu

Compiled under the authority and direction of

His Divine Grace

Bhaktisiddhānta Sāraswāti Goswāmī

Prabhupada

Translated and edited, with original Sanskrit and Bengali and Roman transliteration by

B. V. Mahāyogi, Michael Dolan

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam on Epistemology: four kinds of epistemological evidence (Pramāna)

१

श्रुतिः प्रत्य़क्षमैतिह्य़म् अनुमानं चतुष्ठय़म्

प्रमाणेस्बन-बस्थानाद् बिकल्पात् स बिरज्य़ते

1

śrutiḥ pratyakṣamaitihyam anumānaṁ catuṣṭhayam

pramāṇesvana-vasthānād vikalpāt sa virajyate 

There are four kinds of evidence by which reality may be known: revelation,

perception, history and hearsay and inference. 

(Bhāg. 11.19.17)

Manu-saṁhitā Describes Three Kinds of
Epistemological Evidence. 

२

प्रत्य़क्षष्-चानुमनञ्च शास्त्रञ्च बिबिधागमम्

त्रय़ं सुबिदितं कार्य़ं धर्म-शुद्धिम्- अभिसता

2

pratyakṣaṣ-cānumanañca śāstrañca vividhāgamam

trayaṁ suviditaṁ kāryaṁ dharma-śuddhim- abhisatā

If one wants to understand what is reality, one must consider the three kinds of

evidence: Vedic evidence, perception, and inference. (Manu 12.105)

The Ancient Vaiṣṇava Madhvā Muni Explains the Three Kinds of Evidence.

३

प्रत्य़क्षे ऽन्तर्भबेद् य़स्माद्-अतिथ्य़ं तेन देशिकह्

प्रमाणं त्रिबिधं प्राख्य़ात् तत्र मुख्य़ा श्रुतिर्-भबेत्

3

pratyakṣe 'ntarbhaved yasmād-atithyaṁ tena deśikah

pramāṇaṁ trividhaṁ prākhyāt tatra mukhyā śrutir-bhavet

Since hearsay is included in perception, Madhvācārya has said that the means

of proper knowledge are three, among which śruti, or revelation, is the highest.

(Prameya-ratnāvalī 9.2)

Divine Sound is the Best Evidence for
Understanding Reality

४

य़द्य़पि प्रत्य़क्षानुमान- शब्दार्य़ोपमानार्थापत्त्य़भाब- सम्भबैतिह्य़चेश्ठाख्य़ानि

दश प्रमाणानि बिदितानी, तथापि भ्रम- प्रमाद-बिप्रलिप्साकरणापाटब-

दोष-रहितबचनात्मकः शब्द एब मूलं प्रमाणम्

4

yadyapi pratyakṣānumāna- śabdāryopamānārthāpattyabhāva- sambhavaitihyaceśṭhākhyāni

daśa pramāṇāni viditānī, tathāpi bhrama- pramāda-vipralipsākaraṇāpāṭava-

doṣa-rahitavacanātmakaḥ śabda eva mūlaṁ pramāṇam

If one carefully examines the ten kinds of epistemological evidence, namely pratyakṣa,

anumāna, ārya, upamāna, arthapatti, abhāva, sambhava, aithihya, and ceśṭha,

one will find that all of them are contaminated with the four defects of material

life: cheating, imperfect senses, illusion, and mistakes. Therefore of all of these,

revelation, śruti, is considered to be superior for it is above the four defects.

Śruti is, therefore, the root of all evidence. 

(Jīva Goswāmī Tattva- Sandarbha, Sarvasamvādini)

৫

প্রমাণের মধ্য়ে শ্রুতি-প্রমাণ প্রধান শ্রুতি য়ে মুখ্য়ার্থ কহে, সেই সে প্রমাণ জীবের অস্থি-বিষ্ঠা দুই শঙ্খ-গোময়

শ্রুতি-বাক্য়ে সেই দুই মহাপবিত্র হয় স্বতহ্-প্রমাণ বেদ সৎয় য়েই কয় "লক্ষণা" করিলে স্বতহ্-প্রামাণ্য়-হানি হয়

5

pramāṇera madhye śruti-pramāṇa pradhāna śruti ye mukhyārtha kahe, sei se pramāṇa jīvera asthi-viṣṭhā dui śaṅkha-gomaya

śruti-vākye sei dui mahāpavitra haya svatah-pramāṇa veda satya yei kaya "lakṣaṇā" karile svatah-prāmāṇya-hāni haya

[Caitanya Mahāprabhu said] Although there is other evidence, the evidence given in the Vedic version must be taken as foremost. Vedic versions understood directly are first-class evidence. Conchshells and cow dung are nothing but the bones and the stool of certain living entities, but according to the Vedic version they are both considered very pure.

The Vedic statements are self-evident. Whatever they state must be accepted. If we interpret according to our own imagination, the authority of the Vedas is immediately lost. 

(Cc. Madhya 6.135-137). 

Thus ends the Gauḍiya Kaṇṭhahāra

All Glories to Śrī Śrī Guru and Gaurāṅga!

श्री गुरु गौरङ्ग जय़तः