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Relation or Sambandha (Samskrit: सम्बन्धः) refers to the logic of relations developed in modern or Navya Nyaya shastra.

Relation or Sambandha (Samskrit: सम्बन्धः) refers to the logic of relations developed in modern or Navya Nyaya shastra. Navya Nyaya rests to a great extent on the concept of sambandha or relation.<ref name=":0">V.N. Jha, (1990) ''Philosophy of Relations'', New Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications</ref> This concept is an all- pervasive one on account of which Navya-Nyaya can be termed relational logic. It has potential benefits for realizing new and deep knowledge representation schemes superior to semantic nets and conceptual graphs used in AI. Relations also play a significant role in the process of cognition. The concept is also complex because it involves difficulties of various types, ontological, logical and epistemological.<ref name=":1">Sarma, VVS. and Gopal. Kalyani, (2005) ''Indian Logic (Nyaya) in Modern Information Technology'' in Sanskrit Studies, Vol. 1, Samvat 2061-62 (CE 2004-05) ''ed. Kapil Kapoor'' New Delhi: Special Centre for Sanskrit Studies and D. K. Printworld (P) Ltd. pp.9-45</ref>

 

Navya Nyaya rests to a great extent on the concept of sambandha or relation.<ref name=":0">V.N. Jha, (1990) ''Philosophy of Relations'', New Delhi: Sri Satguru Publications</ref> This concept is an all- pervasive one on account of which Navya-Nyaya can be termed relational logic. It has potential benefits for realizing new and deep knowledge representation schemes superior to semantic nets and conceptual graphs used in AI. Relations also play a significant role in the process of cognition. The concept is also complex because it involves difficulties of various types, ontological, logical and epistemological.<ref name=":1">Sarma, VVS. and Gopal. Kalyani, (2005) ''Indian Logic (Nyaya) in Modern Information Technology'' in Sanskrit Studies, Vol. 1, Samvat 2061-62 (CE 2004-05) ''ed. Kapil Kapoor'' New Delhi: Special Centre for Sanskrit Studies and D. K. Printworld (P) Ltd. pp.9-45</ref>

== Introduction ==

== Introduction ==

Nyaya rests to a great extent on the concept of sambandha or relation. This concept is an all- pervasive one on account of which Navya-Nyaya can be termed relational logic. It has potential benefits for realizing new and deep knowledge representation schemes superior to semantic nets and conceptual graphs used in AI. Relations also play a significant role in the process of cognition. The concept is also complex because it involves difficulties of various types, ontological, logical and epistemological.<ref>B.K. Matilal, (1998) ''The Character of Logic in India'' (Indian Edition), Delhi: Oxford University Press</ref><ref name=":1" />

Nyaya shastra does rests to a great extent on the concept of sambandha or relation. This concept is an all- pervasive one on account of which Navya-Nyaya can be termed relational logic. It has potential benefits for realizing new and deep knowledge representation schemes superior to semantic nets and conceptual graphs used in AI. Relations also play a significant role in the process of cognition. The concept is also complex because it involves difficulties of various types, ontological, logical and epistemological.<ref>B.K. Matilal, (1998) ''The Character of Logic in India'' (Indian Edition), Delhi: Oxford University Press</ref><ref name=":1" />

== Etymology ==

== Etymology ==

== The Problem ==

== The Problem ==

The problem, in short, is whether there is a real entity called Relation, i.e., is there anything called Relation which is real? To this Idealists (Advaitins and Buddhists) answer "No" and the Realists (Nyaya- Vaiseshika, Mimamsakas and other pluralists) answer "Yes." Since the present topic pertains to understanding the Realists' theory of Relation, here their arguments are present without elaborating the Idealistic perspectives.  

The problem, in short, is whether there is a real entity called Relation, i.e., is there anything called Relation which is real? To this, Idealists (Advaitins and Buddhists) answer "No" and the Realists (Nyaya- Vaiseshika, Mimamsakas and other pluralists) answer "Yes." Since the present topic pertains to understanding the Realists' view of Relation, their arguments are presented without deeper comparison or elaboration of the Idealistic perspectives.  

According to Nyaya-Vaiseshika, our behaviour depends upon savikalpa-jnana (determinate cognition): it reveals a structure of qualifier-qualificand type involving an entity called Relation between them.<ref name=":0" />

According to Nyaya-Vaiseshika, our behaviour depends upon savikalpa-jnana (determinate cognition): it reveals a structure of qualifier-qualificand type involving an entity called Relation between them.<ref name=":0" /> But since, in reality, it is the [[Manas (मनः)|Manas]] which connects things encoded in language, the idealists have taken the relation  to be an imaginary entity. Realists, on the other hand, do not consider savikalpa-jnana as false cognition (unlike idealists who do so), they say that the relation involved therein is not false. To the idealists, the external world is merely a mental creation and as such does not have any reality; the realists, however, differ and explain the presence of a thing in the knowledge by accepting a Relation called Vishaya-vishayi-bhava, container and contained relationship. Through this relation any object can appear in the knowledge and hence there is no necessity to deny the existence of an outside world. They explain further that Vishaya-vishayi-bhava relation is not a distinct entity; it is a self-linking relation (Svarupa sambandha) revealed by the object or knowledge itself. <ref name=":0" /> Ascertainment of the reality of the vishaya-vishayi-bhava relationship also establishes others like samyoga, samavayi etc., and hence the relation is a reality according to the realists' argument. Further this also establishes the external existence of things which we know and with which we behave throughout life.<ref name=":0" />

== Characteristics of a Relation ==

== Characteristics of a Relation ==

According to Dharmaklrti (Sambandha Panksa, c. 600 ce), a relation will have any of the following characteristics:

 

According to Dharmakriti (in Sambandha Pariksha), a relation will have any of the following characteristics:

1. Dependency is a relation.

1. Dependency is a relation.

=== Samavaya ===

=== Samavaya ===

Samavdya is considered as one of the seven fundamental categories (padartha) of the classical Vaisesika school, while samyoga (contact or conjunction) and vibhdga (disjunction) are considered as types of a second category guna (quality). Samavdya or inherence is an example of a direct relation and is also an occurrence-exacting relation. For example, in the knowledge of ghatah asti, ghatatva is visesana existing in the ghata by samavdya (inherence) relation. In nllah ghatah asti there is a blue jar, the blueness and the potness are inherent in the pot. Samavdya can be known by the sense-organs and hence through perception. This relation can also be easily seen as a vyapya vrtti relation. Navya-Nyaya distinguishes between two awarnesses such as a blue pot and a pot. To explain this difference Navya-Nyaya introduces the important concept of a limitor (avacchedaka). In a single word "pot" the potness (ghatatva) is the avacchedaka. In the relation aRb, a is the pot, R is inherence (samavaya) and b is the universal ghatatva which is cognized directly. Here b is the limitor of the property of being the qualificand and resident in a. A limitor is thus a qualifier in this case but all qualifiers are not limitors. In the phrase "blue jar" (nlla ghata) there are two avacchedakas residing in nllatva, even though the objects ghatah and mlah ghatah are one and the same.

Samavaya is considered as one of the seven fundamental categories (padartha) of the classical Vaisesika school, while samyoga (contact or conjunction) and vibhaga (disjunction) are considered as types of a second category guna (quality). Samavaya or inherence is an example of a direct relation and is also an occurrence-exacting relation. For example, in the knowledge of ghatah asti, ghatatva is visesana existing in the ghata by samavaya (inherence) relation. In nilah ghatah asti there is a blue jar, the blueness and the potness are inherent in the pot. Samavaya can be known by the sense-organs and hence through perception. This relation can also be easily seen as a vyapya vrtti relation. Navya-Nyaya distinguishes between two awarnesses such as a blue pot and a pot. To explain this difference Navya-Nyaya introduces the important concept of a limitor (avacchedaka). In a single word "pot" the potness (ghatatva) is the avacchedaka. In the relation aRb, a is the pot, R is inherence (samavaya) and b is the universal ghatatva which is cognized directly. Here b is the limitor of the property of being the qualificand and resident in a. A limitor is thus a qualifier in this case but all qualifiers are not limitors. In the phrase "blue jar" (nila ghata) there are two avacchedakas residing in nilatva, even though the objects ghatah and nilah ghatah are one and the same.<ref name=":1" />

 

=== Svarupa ===

=== Svarupa ===