Nyāya Sūtra offers a new English translation of the text ascribed to Akṣapāda, an Indian philosopher who lived around the beginning of the Common Era. This book will be of interest to Indian philosophy, world philosophies, epistemology, philosophical method, soteriology, rationalism, spirituality, Hinduism and religious studies.

Introduction 1Chapter 1a 11The use 11Means of valid cognition 13Objects worth knowing 16On the method, first part 21Established tenets 23The method defined 25Further parts of the method 33Chapter 1b 36Verbalised forms 36Fallacious reasons 37Deliberate misinterpretation 39General inferential mistakes 42Chapter 2a 44Doubt 44General characteristics of the means of valid cognition 47Definition of perception 54Perception is inference 57Whole made up of parts 58Inference 60Present 62Comparison 63Statement in general 66Statement in detail 69Chapter 2b 73Four means of valid cognition 73Non-eternity of sound 78Modifications of sound 87Ascertaining the meaning of words 94Chapter 3a 99The different senses 99The self is separate from the body 100The organ of sight is not single 102The self is different from the mind 104The self is eternal 105Physical body 109Senses derive from the elements 110Differences between the sense organs 115Sense objects 119Chapter 3b 126Understanding is not eternal 126Momentariness in general 131Understanding as a quality of the self 134Understanding springs up and comes to a final end 144Understanding not a quality of the body 145Mind 149The body brought about by unseen causes 151Chapter 4a 157Worldly activities and moral flaws 157Three types of moral flaws 157Hereafter 159The material cause is emptiness 161The material cause is the Lord 162Things come into being without cause 164Refuting that everything is impermanent 165Refuting that everything is permanent 166Refuting that everything is totally particular 168Refuting the emptiness of everything 170Refuting enumerations 172Fruits of action 174Suffering 178Final liberation 179Chapter 4b 186True knowledge 186Parts and wholes consisting of parts 187That which is without parts 193Refuting the breaking up of outer objects 196Increasing true knowledge 201Protecting true knowledge 205Chapter 5a 207Fallacious indications of a true counter-position 208Six rejoinders 213Two rejoinders 218Infinite regress and a generally perceived fact that is contrary 219Non-emergence 221Doubt 222Subsection 222Absence of a reason 223Implication 224Non-differentiation 224What is truly possible 225Perception 226Non-perception 226What is not eternal 227What is eternal 228Effect 229Six positions in a fallacious debate 230Chapter 5b 234Five grounds for losing an argument 234Four grounds for losing an argument 238Three grounds for losing an argument 239Repetitiveness 240Inability to give an answer 241Assenting to the opinion of the opponent 242Unusual statements 243Bibliography 245Index 249