THE EPISTEMOLOGICAL FOUNDATION OF LIFE: THE IMPACT OF NYAYA DARSHAN ON AYURVEDA

The evolution of Ayurveda from an empirical collection of health observations into a structured medical science is largely credited to the integration of Nyaya Darshan, the Indian school of logic and epistemology. This paper examines the philosophical and methodological influence of Nyaya on Ayurvedic diagnostic, therapeutic, and investigative frameworks. By adopting Nyaya's four Pramanas (means of valid knowledge) and the Panchavayava (five-membered syllogism), Ayurveda established a rigorous scientific method. The study further explores how Nyaya’s theory of causality (Karya-Karana Siddhanta) and its rules for debate (Vada-maarga) provided the intellectual tools necessary for the Charaka Samhita to standardize medical practice. Ultimately, the paper concludes that Nyaya Darshan serves as the "logical skeleton" that supports the "biological body" of Ayurveda.