Shlokavarttika

Introduction

A long verse commentary on the opening, philosophical section (tarkapada) of Shabara’s commentary on the Mimamsa Sutra, written in the seventh century by Kumarila Bhatta, founder of the Bhatta school of Mimamsa. Kumarila defends the “intrinsic validity” (svatah pramanya) of cognition: every cognition counts as true unless defeated by contrary evidence, so the Veda, which has no author whose faults could undermine it, needs no external proof. He argues for a real external world against Buddhist idealism, against the Buddhist theory of meaning as “exclusion” (apoha) and against the possibility of an omniscient person such as the Buddha. Buddhist philosophers such as Shantarakshita replied to him in detail.

Connections

Builds on

• Mimamsa Sutrac. 200 BCE · Jaimini

Criticizes

• Vakyapadiyac. 490 · Bhartrhari
• Pramanasamuccayac. 520 · Dignaga

Criticized in

• Tattvasangrahac. 760 · Shantarakshita