Nyāya — the school of logicians
Early Nyāya maintained that the Veda is the work of reliable persons; while later Nyāya mentioned God as its author.
The latter argued that the omniscient and compassionate creator of the world, who can be known through inference, could not have left beings without teaching them the means of attaining the good.
The teaching of this Being, who is like a father of all, must have been preserved with great respect by the earliest beings. The Veda embodies that Divine teaching. None else except an infinite omniscient being could have authored a work like the Veda as its contents are so unique, profound, all-embracing and consistent.
The Veda, for Nyāya, is inerrant and free from contradictions. If it were not the authentic Scripture, it could have neither established the institution of four castes and four stages of life, nor would it have been acceptable to generations of good men from immemorial times till now.
Reasoning cannot give the entire truth; it cannot establish
what is 'good' or 'bad'. Any inference opposed to perception or the Scripture is only an apparent inference. In the realm of Dharma, Nyāya holds, reason is useful only in protecting the truth revealed by Scripture from heresies, and has no positive role.
Vyākaraṇa — the school of Grammarians
The Vaiyakaraṇas claim that the purpose of grammar is
1. to protect (raksa) Vedic forms which must remain changeless;
2. to provide appropriate words through conjecture (uha);
3. to make available an easy method of grasping the language; and
4. and to clear doubts.
Early Nyāya maintained that the Veda is the work of reliable persons; while later Nyāya mentioned God as its author.
The latter argued that the omniscient and compassionate creator of the world, who can be known through inference, could not have left beings without teaching them the means of attaining the good.
The teaching of this Being, who is like a father of all, must have been preserved with great respect by the earliest beings. The Veda embodies that Divine teaching. None else except an infinite omniscient being could have authored a work like the Veda as its contents are so unique, profound, all-embracing and consistent.
The Veda, for Nyāya, is inerrant and free from contradictions. If it were not the authentic Scripture, it could have neither established the institution of four castes and four stages of life, nor would it have been acceptable to generations of good men from immemorial times till now.
Reasoning cannot give the entire truth; it cannot establish
what is 'good' or 'bad'. Any inference opposed to perception or the Scripture is only an apparent inference. In the realm of Dharma, Nyāya holds, reason is useful only in protecting the truth revealed by Scripture from heresies, and has no positive role.
Vyākaraṇa — the school of Grammarians
The Vaiyakaraṇas claim that the purpose of grammar is
1. to protect (raksa) Vedic forms which must remain changeless;
2. to provide appropriate words through conjecture (uha);
3. to make available an easy method of grasping the language; and
4. and to clear doubts.