In Nyāya's account of sannikarṣa, which relation explains the perception of a…

Concept

Nyāya distinguishes ordinary perception by the relation, or sannikarṣa, connecting a sense faculty with the object perceived.

Direct perception of an external substance uses saṃyoga (conjunction). Other relations explain the perception of qualities, universals, and sound.

Application

1. The eye is the relevant sense faculty, and the pot is an external substance.

2. The eye and the pot are directly conjoined; no quality or universal is the immediate object of perception.

3. Therefore, the applicable sannikarṣa is saṃyoga.

Contrast

• Samavāya (inherence) explains auditory perception of sound.

• Saṃyukta-samavāya explains perception of a quality, such as the colour inhering in a pot.

• Saṃyukta-samaveta-samavāya explains perception of a universal inhering in such a quality, such as colourhood.

Cross-check

If the object perceived were the pot's colour, the relation would shift to saṃyukta-samavāya. Because the item asks about the pot as a substance, saṃyoga is the result.