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Work #1798 · Early

Pramanavarttika (Commentary on Valid Cognition)

Dharmakirti
c. 7th century · Sanskrit
Philosophical treatise (verse with auto-commentary) · Buddhist epistemology (pramana); Yogacara-Sautrantika synthesis

The most rigorous Buddhist treatise on logic and epistemology — perception and inference as the only valid means of knowledge, deployed against Brahmanical authority and the permanent self

Attribute Fingerprint

Rows where works disagree are highlighted in gold. The full ontology grid is shown.

Attribute Pramanavarttika (Commentary on Valid Cognition) (Early)
Time · Extent Infinite
Time · Ontological Status Relational
Time · Grain Discrete
Time · Freedom Deterministic
Time · Traversability Linear
Time · Dimensionality One
Time · Direction Uni-directional
Space · Extent Infinite
Space · Ontological Status Relational
Space · Curvature not engaged
Space · Dimensionality Three
Space · Locality Local
Matter · Extent Finite
Matter · Ontological Status Emergent
Matter · Conservation Non-conserved
Matter · Dimensionality Three
Matter · Locality Local
Observer · Time Instance Single
Observer · Space Instance Single
Observer · Knowledge Extent Immediate
Observer · Knowledge Retainment Fallible
Observer · Physicality Embodied
Observer · Agency Active
Observer · Number Plural
Observer · Metaphysical Agency None
Observer · Moral Authority Reason
Observer · Theological Method
Energy · Extent not engaged
Energy · Ontological Status Relational
Energy · Conservation not engaged
Energy · Dispersibility not engaged
Information · Ontological Status Relational
Information · Cosmic Conservation Non-conserved
Information · Personal Conservation Non-conserved
Information · Granularity Discrete

Dimension-by-Dimension Evidence

What each work's passages reveal about its stance on each of the six dimensions.

Time

Pramanavarttika (Commentary on Valid Cognition)

Infinite samsaric cycle; discrete momentariness (ksanikavada); strict causal determinism.

Space

Pramanavarttika (Commentary on Valid Cognition)

Infinite, relational; causal efficacy requires spatiotemporal contiguity.

Matter

Pramanavarttika (Commentary on Valid Cognition)

Finite, emergent, non-conserved; material objects are streams of momentary events.

Observer

Pramanavarttika (Commentary on Valid Cognition)

Embodied cognitive stream; no permanent self; perception is immediate but inference fallible.

Energy

Pramanavarttika (Commentary on Valid Cognition)

Unaddressed in modern terms; momentary causal efficacy (arthakriya).

Information

Pramanavarttika (Commentary on Valid Cognition)

Relational, non-conserved; knowledge is momentary; no permanent knower.

Internal Tensions

Where each work's argument pulls against itself.

Pramanavarttika (Commentary on Valid Cognition)

Tension between radical momentariness and the practical requirements of inference across time; apoha theory's reliance on the positive entities it claims to exclude.