The followers of Sri Vishnu faith or Vaishnavas have to compulsorily bear heated insignias of Sudarsana disk and paancajanya conch on their body parts- at least once in a year, preferably on Aashada Ekadasi. They have to be received from the hands of a monk only. The monk may belong to any mutt. On this day, a small homa or sacrifice called Sudarshana homa has to be done with ghee oblations. This is the only homa allowed on an Ekadasi day. Out of the sacrificial fire, we have to collect heated charcoal in an oven and in it we have to heat disk and conch insignias made out of silver and that heated insignias have to be stamped on the shoulders of men and forearms of women. The disc should be stamped on right shoulder/forearm and the conch should be stamped on left shoulder/forearm. For children, they are to be stamped on stomach. Some tradition is there to have five insignias, like disc on right shoulders, right chest and conch on left shoulder, left chest and one disc near naval region. This taptaa mudra dharana is also a part of Caaturmaasya Vrata.
Pramana Lakshana
This is a short work on INDIAN EPISTEMOLOGY or theory of knowledge. “Maana dheena meya siddhihi “is the dictum. That is, any piece of knowledge depends on the means of the knowledge. In this work the nature and the number of pramanas are discussed.
The work begins with the following Mangalacharana sloka.
अशेष गुरुमीशेषं नारायणमनामयम् ।
संप्रणम्य प्रवक्ष्यामि प्रमाणानां स्वलक्षणम् ॥
aSeSha gurumISeShaM nArAyaNamanAmayam |
saMpraNamya pravakShyAmi pramANAnAM svalakShaNam ||
the work ends likes this:-
आनन्द तीर्थमुनिना ब्रह्मतर्कोक्तिमार्गतः ।
मानलक्षणमित्युक्तं संक्षेपात् ब्रह्मसिद्धये ॥
अशेषमानमेयैक साक्षिणेऽक्षाय मूर्तये ।
अजेष पुरुहूतेड्य नमो नारायणाय ते ॥
aananda teerthamuninaa brahmatarkoktimaargataH |
maanalakShaNamityuktaM saMkShepaat brahmasiddhaye ||
asheShamaanameyaika saakShiNe&kShaaya moortaye |
ajeSha puruhooteDya namo naaraayaNaaya te ||
It gives the definition for pramana as “yathaaratham pramaanam ‘ (cognising a thing as it is , is the pramaana )The work covers both the knowledge and the means of knowledge. The knowledge alone is kevala pramana .The means of the knowledge are anupramanas. The kevala pramana is classified as Iswara jnana , Lakshmi jnana , Yogi jnana, Ayogi jnana, Iswara jnana and Lakshmi jnana are Anadi nitya.(beginningless and eternal)
Anupramana is classified as Pratyaksha, Anumana and Agama.
The contact between the defectless senses and objects that are free from the defects is Pratyaksha. The arguments free from defects are Anumaana. The verbal communications free from the defects is Aagama Pramaana. In pratyaksha or perception, five perceptions arising out of five senses (Eye, ear,nose,tongue and skin ) and mind (Manas) and Saakshi (Internal witness) are discussed. Memory is considered as mental perception.
Vyaapti( In variable concommitance ) is the ground of the argument. Conflict and incongruity are defects of the arguments. The details of Nigrahasthana , Jaati etc., are also explained.
All the fallacies and the other defects listed above are shown in the syllogism proposed by Advaita to posit Mityatva.
The definitions of Pramaana given by Prabhakara and Bhattas are rejected.
Sruti and Smriti are declared to be verbal Pramanaas. Maadhva says that all the ideas on Pramaana are drawn from Brahma Tarka of Vedavyaasa.
Since this is a short work , the detailed study on various aspects of Pramaanaas can be had from the works of Jaya Tirtha, Viz. “Pramaana Lakshana Tika” and “Pramana Paddhati”. Maadhva epistemology may be learnt from the Primer, “Pramaana Candrika”
Even Sri Rotti Venkatadri Bhattaru Narayana panditacharyaru wrote Tikas on Pramana Lakshana. The following Tippanis are also available on this work.
1. Vyaakyaa by Sri Vijayeendra Tirtha.
2. Tippani by Varaahasevi Srinivasachar
3. Bhaavadeepa by Sri Raghavendraswamy
4. Tippani by BidahalliSrinivasa Tirtha.
5. Tippani by Vedesa Titha
6. Tippani by Kallapura Ramachandrachar.
7. Gururaajeeya by Pandurangi Kesavachar.
8. Anantabhatteeya by Srimushnam Achar.
9. Tippani by Srnivasacharya Lingeri.
10. Tippani by Vidyaadheesa swamiji
This small work is a “must” study for all the students of Vedanta. Without Epistemology. One cannot learn Ontology and Metaphysics. “Logic is the essence of Philosophy”