ll this discussion we have not advanced
a step towards the ascertainment of the date of the original part
of the Nyaya. Goldstuecker says that both Patanjali (140 B.C.)
and Katyayana (fourth century B.C.) knew the _Nyaya sutras_ [Footnote ref
1]. We know that Kau@tilya knew the Nyaya in some form as Anvik@siki
in 300 B.C., and on the strength of this we may venture to say
that the Nyaya existed in some form as early as the fourth
century B.C. But there are other reasons which lead me to think
that at least some of the present sutras were written some time
in the second century A.D. Bodas points out that Badaraya@na's
sutras make allusions to the Vais'e@sika doctrines and not to Nyaya.
On this ground he thinks that _Vais'e@sika sutras_ were written before
Badarayana's _Brahma-sutras_, whereas the Nyaya sutras were
written later. Candrakanta Tarkala@mkara also contends in his

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[Footnote 1: Goldstuecker's _Pa@nini_, p. 157.]

280

edition of Vais'e@sika that the _Vais'e@sika sutras_ were earlier than the
Nyaya. It seems to me to be perfectly certain that the _Vais'e@sika
sutras_ were written before Caraka (80 A.D.); for he not only quotes
one of the _Vais'e@sika sutras_, but the whole foundation of his medical
physics is based on the Vais`e@sika physics [Footnote ref 1]. The
_La@nkavatara sutra_ (which as it was quoted by As'vagho@sa is earlier
than 80 A.D.) also makes allusions to the atomic doctrine. There are
other weightier grounds, as we shall see later on, for supposing
that the _Vais'e@sika sutras_ are probably pre-Buddhistic [Footnote ref 2].

It is certain that even the logical part of the present _Nyaya
sutras_ was preceded by previous speculations on the subject by
thinkers of other schools. Thus in commenting on I.i. 32 in which
the sutra states that a syllogism consists of five premisses (_avayava_)
Vatsyayana says that this sutra was written to refute the views
of those who held that there should be ten premisses [Footnote ref 3]. The
_Vais'e@sika sutras_ also give us some of the earliest types of inference,
which do not show any acquaintance with the technic of the Nyaya
doctrine of inference [Footnote ref 4].

Does Vais'e@sika represent an Old School of Mima@msa?

The Vais'e@sika is so much associated with Nyaya by tradition
that it seems at first sight quite unlikely that it could be supposed
to represent an old school of Mima@