Kumarila Bhatta
Every perception or belief counts as true until something proves it wrong – which is why the Veda can be trusted.
Placement
Leading Mimamsa philosopher: every cognition is intrinsically valid until defeated; with this he defended the authority of the Veda against the Buddhist logicians.
Key ideas
- Intrinsic validity (svatah pramanya)
- Authorless Veda
- Critique of Buddhist apoha
Influence
Influenced by 1
Jaimini
influenced by
Kumarila’s Shlokavarttika comments in verse on Shabara’s commentary on Jaimini’s Mimamsa-sutra and defends its doctrine that the Veda is authorless and valid in itself. Kumarila, Slokavarttika; J. Taber, A Hindu Critique of Buddhist Epistemology (2005)
Evidence: AI draft
Jaimini › c. 250–180 BCE
Criticism
Criticized by 3
Dharmakirti
criticised by
Dharmakirti attacked the Mimamsa doctrine of an authorless, self-valid Veda that Kumarila defended; whether he answered Kumarila himself is debated. Dharmakīrti, Pramāṇavārttika I with Svavṛtti; V. Eltschinger, Penser l’autorité des Écritures, 2007
Evidence: AI draft
Dharmakirti › c. 600–660
Shantarakshita
criticised by
Shantarakshita’s Tattvasamgraha argued against Kumarila at length, especially his denial that any person can be omniscient and his defence of the eternal Veda. Śāntarakṣita, Tattvasaṃgraha, with Kamalaśīla’s Pañjikā; SEP “Śāntarakṣita”
Evidence: AI draft
Shantarakshita › c. 725–788
Udayana
criticised by
Udayana argued against Kumarila’s Mimamsa that the Veda needs an author, God, and that its validity derives from its source rather than being intrinsic (Nyayakusumanjali). Udayana, Nyāyakusumāñjali; K. H. Potter (ed.), Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies II, 1977
Evidence: AI draft
Udayana › c. 950–1020
Criticizes 2
Bhartrhari
criticised
Kumarila rejected Bhartrhari’s sphota, a partless word-whole beyond the sounds, holding that the sequence of phonemes itself conveys meaning (Shlokavarttika, Sphotavada). Kumārila, Ślokavārttika, Sphoṭavāda; H. Coward & K. K. Raja (eds.), Encyclopedia of Indian Philosophies V, 1990
Evidence: AI draft
Bhartrhari › c. 450–510
Dignaga
criticised
Kumarila rejected Dignaga’s apoha theory, word meaning as exclusion of others, and his account of perception (Shlokavarttika, Apohavada and Pratyaksha chapters). Kumārila, Ślokavārttika; J. Taber, A Hindu Critique of Buddhist Epistemology, 2005
Evidence: AI draft
Dignaga › c. 480–540
Works
- c. 640Shlokavarttika
A verse commentary on the Mimamsa Sutra that defends the intrinsic validity of cognition and the authority of the Veda against the Buddhists.
Position
Kumarila is usually counted the most influential Mimamsa philosopher. Against the Buddhist logicians he argued that every cognition is valid by itself (svatah pramanya): we may trust it until it is defeated by a contrary cognition or by evidence of a defect in its source. The Veda, having no author, has no source of defects; its injunctions are therefore reliable. He defended direct realism against Buddhist idealism, attacked the apoha theory of meaning and Bhartrhari’s sphota, and denied that anyone, the Buddha included, could be omniscient or that a God composed the Veda. Advaita Vedanta largely adopted his epistemology; Dharmakirti and Shantarakshita were his great Buddhist opponents.
Life & context
Kumarila Bhatta lived in the 7th century CE; little is reliably known about his life or homeland. Hagiographies tell that he studied secretly with Buddhist teachers in order to refute them and later, in penance, burned himself on a slow fire of rice husks, meeting the young Shankara as he died – a legend of doubtful historicity. Mandana Mishra is said to have been his pupil; whether Prabhakara was, is disputed.
Further main works
- Commentary on the Rules (Tantravarttika, 7th century CE)
- Tuptika (7th century CE)
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