Daily nectar of word meaning Day 02
நாள்தோறும் சொற்பொருள் அமிர்தம்
The term ‘pramā’ means certain knowledge. ‘Karana’ means an instrument or the means in any pursuit. Therefore, by the term ‘pramāna’, the instrument of knowledge is indicated; the object that we seek to know is called the ‘prameya’ . In using similar terminology, the term ‘pramāta’ refers to the knower, who uses the pramāna to attain the prameya.
The common sense is that when there is a pursuit of knowledge, there are three: the knower, the instrument of knowledge and the object of knowledge. You may also say the fourth one, the resulting knowledge. Let us park this for a while.
What is there to know for us, in other words, what are the prameya?
Infinite are the objects that we seek to know as there are infinite objects in the world; the term ’jagat’ refers to the world. The root ‘ja’means speed that which is born, consumed etc.; the term ‘gat’ refers to moving, occurring, taking-effect etc. Therefore the ‘jagat’ is a forever moving, changing, happening event and so the objects in the world are also forever changing, making our pursuit of knowing the objects of the world an unending process and so our knowledge about the world always incomplete. What are the instruments of knowledge or the pramāna that are available to us?
(to be continued – Mee. Rajagopalan – 11/05/2017)
The term ‘pramā’ means certain knowledge. ‘Karana’ means an instrument or the means in any pursuit. Therefore, by the term ‘pramāna’, the instrument of knowledge is indicated; the object that we seek to know is called the ‘prameya’ . In using similar terminology, the term ‘pramāta’ refers to the knower, who uses the pramāna to attain the prameya.
The common sense is that when there is a pursuit of knowledge, there are three: the knower, the instrument of knowledge and the object of knowledge. You may also say the fourth one, the resulting knowledge. Let us park this for a while.
What is there to know for us, in other words, what are the prameya?
Infinite are the objects that we seek to know as there are infinite objects in the world; the term ’jagat’ refers to the world. The root ‘ja’means speed that which is born, consumed etc.; the term ‘gat’ refers to moving, occurring, taking-effect etc. Therefore the ‘jagat’ is a forever moving, changing, happening event and so the objects in the world are also forever changing, making our pursuit of knowing the objects of the world an unending process and so our knowledge about the world always incomplete. What are the instruments of knowledge or the pramāna that are available to us?
(தொடரும் – மீ. ராஜகோபாலன் , 11/05/2017)