Dignāga (also spelled Diññāga), the great Buddhist philosopher and logician who lived around 480–540 CE, has a special connection with Odisha. Local traditions in the state link him closely to the village of Delang (or Delanga) in Puri district, near Bhubaneswar. According to historical accounts preserved in Odisha’s cultural memory, Acharya Dignāga taught at a Buddhist vihara (monastery) in Delang. The village name is believed by some to derive from or honor his name (Dignāga/ Dinnaga), reflecting his lasting influence. He is said to have spent time in the region, possibly returning there after scholarly engagements elsewhere, and completed or refined his groundbreaking work on epistemology in this area. He also reportedly converted a minister of a Kalinga (ancient Odisha) king, leading to the establishment of several Buddhist viharas in the kingdom. Archaeological sites like Aragarh near Delang further highlight the region’s rich Buddhist heritage from that era. While scholarly sources often place his birth near Kanchi in South India and associate him with places like Nalanda and Andhra, Odisha proudly remembers him as a figure who contributed to Buddhism in its lands, making his legacy feel local and enduring.
Dignāga was born into a Brahmin family and initially followed non-Buddhist traditions. He later embraced Buddhism, studying under teachers linked to the great Vasubandhu, one of the founders of Yogācāra (Mind-Only) philosophy. Dignāga became a monk and emerged as a revolutionary thinker, reshaped how Buddhists approached knowledge, reasoning, and debate. His most famous work is the Pramāṇasamuccaya, a text that laid the foundation for Buddhist logic and epistemology. In simple terms, epistemology is the study of how we know things—what counts as true knowledge and how we can trust it.
Before Dignāga, Indian philosophy had many ideas about sources of knowledge. Schools like Nyāya accepted four means: perception, inference, comparison, and verbal testimony (from reliable sources like scriptures). Dignāga boldly reduced these to just two reliable means of knowledge, called pramāṇas: perception (pratyakṣa) and inference (anumāna). He argued that the other two are not independent—they can be folded into inference.
Perception, for Dignāga, is direct, non-conceptual awareness. It grasps the unique particular (svalakṣaṇa), the raw, moment-by-moment reality without adding names, labels, or concepts. Think of seeing a blue flower: the pure sensation of blueness and form, before your mind says “This is a flower” or “It is beautiful.” Anything involving concepts or words is not true perception. This idea was radical because it emphasized direct experience free from mental constructions (kalpanā), aligning with Buddhist teachings on seeing things as they really are, without illusion.
Inference, the second means, deals with general characteristics (sāmānyalakṣaṇa) or universals. It allows us to draw conclusions based on evidence. For example, seeing smoke on a hill and inferring fire because smoke always comes from fire in our experience. Dignāga carefully defined the rules for valid inference. He introduced the idea of the hetu (reason or middle term) needing three conditions: it must be present in the case being argued (the pakṣa), present in similar examples (sapakṣa), and absent in dissimilar ones (vipakṣa). This “wheel of reasons” (hetucakra) helped classify arguments systematically, showing which are valid and which are faulty.
These two means match the two kinds of objects of knowledge (prameyas): particulars for perception and universals for inference. Dignāga’s strict division—no overlap, no extras—made Buddhist reasoning sharper and more precise. His system rejected universals as real, independent things (they exist only as mental constructs), supporting Buddhist views on impermanence and no-self.
Dignāga’s contributions went beyond theory. He was a master debater who challenged Brahmanical philosophers like those from Nyāya and Mīmāṃsā schools. His logical tools helped Buddhists defend their doctrines against critics. He influenced later giants like Dharmakīrti (7th century), who built on his ideas and made them even more detailed. Together, they formed the backbone of Buddhist logic (hetu-vidyā), which spread to Tibet and became central to monastic education there. In Tibetan Buddhism, the study of pramāṇa remains a key part of training, helping monks analyze texts, debate, and cultivate wisdom.
Dignāga’s work also advanced atomism in Buddhism. He supported the idea that reality consists of tiny, momentary particles (paramāṇu), known through perception, reinforcing the teaching of impermanence (anitya). By focusing on direct cognition and valid reasoning, he bridged philosophy with meditation practice—true knowledge leads to seeing reality clearly, which helps end suffering.
Critics like Candrakīrti (Madhyamaka school) and Jayarāśi (a skeptic) questioned whether Dignāga’s own theory could be known under its strict rules. For instance, how can we know “there are only two means of knowledge” if it requires a third kind of object or cognition outside the system? These debates show how deeply Dignāga’s ideas provoked thought across traditions. Yet, his framework proved resilient, inspiring centuries of refinement.
In essence, Dignāga transformed Buddhist philosophy from broad discussions into a rigorous, logical system. He made epistemology a core strength of Buddhism, emphasizing reason alongside compassion and insight. His insistence on only two pramāṇas simplified and purified the path to truth, making it more accessible yet profoundly deep.
Today, Dignāga’s legacy lives on—not just in academic studies but in how people seek clear understanding amid confusion. In Odisha, where sites linked to him remind us of his presence, he symbolizes the blend of local heritage and universal wisdom. His teachings encourage us to question assumptions, trust direct experience, and reason carefully—timeless tools for anyone pursuing truth in a complex world.
By Bishnupada Sethi, IAS
The author serves as the Chairman of the Odisha Forest Development Corporation (OFDC) and continues as the Chief Administrator of the KBK districts.
