According to the Naiyāyikās, words mean

Concept

Nyāya analyzes the referent of a common word through three related aspects: vyakti, the concrete individual; ākṛti, the arrangement or form by which the class is recognized; and jāti, the universal shared across individuals. These aspects distinguish the bearer, its recognizable form, and its class-character without reducing word meaning to only one of them.

Application

The stem asks for the Naiyāyika account of word meaning. The Nyāya-sūtra formulation “vyaktyākṛtijātayastu padārthaḥ” groups vyakti, ākṛti, and jāti together as the word’s referent or meaning. Hence the applicable combination is universal, particular, and configuration.

Contrast

• “Universals only” isolates jāti and leaves out the individual bearer and recognizable configuration.

• “Particular only” isolates vyakti and leaves out the shared class and recognizable configuration.

• “Configuration only” isolates ākṛti and leaves out the individual bearer and shared class.

Cross-check

With “cow,” Nyāya can refer to an individual cow, the cow-shaped configuration, and cowhood. The example reproduces the same three-part analysis.

Result: Universal, particular and configuration (Jāti, Vyakti and Ākṛti).