पूर्वापराविरोधेन को न्वर्थोऽभिमतो भवेत् ।
इत्याद्यमूहनं तर्कः शुष्कतर्कं च वर्जयेत् ॥
pūrvāparāvirodhena ko nv artho’bhimato bhavet |
ity ādyam ūhanaṁ tarkaḥ śuṣka-tarkaṁ ca varjayet ||
(Kūrma Purāṇa; cited in Sarva-saṁvādinī, Govinda-bhāṣya, Prameya-ratnāvalī)
“‘What is the intended meaning [of a particular expression] free from contradiction to preceding and succeeding statements?” Reasoning such as this is the best form of deliberation. Dry reasoning, however, should be abandoned.”