Nyāya Glossary

Abhāva (अभाव, “non-existence”).—The Nyāya-Vaiśeṣikas accept abhāva (non-existence or negaton) as a separate category. This category is a negative one is opposed to other six categories which are positive categories. The theory of the reality of abhāva is related to the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika theory of causation which is known as asatkāryavāda. According to Nyāya-Vaiśeṣikas, abhāva has a existence. According to asatkāryavāda effect is not existent in the cause before its production. A jar is nonexistent on the ground before its production or after its destruction. Before the production and after the destruction abhāva exists. Abhāva is not like sky flower. It has a negative reality.

According to the Nyāya-Vaiśeṣika, abhāva or no-existence is real category. Jayanta Bhaṭṭa maintains that non-existence is also capable of producing knowledge. It is not devoid of all capabilities. It is the object of knowledge in the form of ‘it is not’ (nāsti). The Nyāya-Vaiśeṣikas also hold that abhāva is not without any essence. It is determined by its pratiyogī (countercorrelate). In case of negation, there is an object whose non-existence is experienced and there is a locus and which this non-existence is based. The object of non-existence is called its pratiyogī and the locus is called anuyogī.

According to Annaṃbhaṭṭa abhāva has four kinds, viz.,

1. prāgabhāva (antecedent non-existence),

2. pradhvaṃsābhāva (destructive non-existence),

3. atyantābhāva (absolute non-existence),

4. anyonyābhāva (mutual non-existence).

Śivāditya also accepts four varieties of abhāva. Viśvanātha has divided abhāva into two types—saṃsargābhāva and anyonyābhāva.