यमर्थमधिकृत्य प्रवर्तते तत्प्रयोजनम् ।
yam artham adhikṛtya pravartate tat prayojanam |
(Nyāya-sūtra: 1.1.24)
“The object in regard to which one acts is [called] the aim (prayojana).”
Commentary
yam artham āptavyaṁ hātavyaṁ vā vyavasāya tad-āpti-hānopāyam anutiṣṭhati, prayojanaṁ tad veditavyam, pravṛtti-hetutvāt | imam artham āpsyāmi hāsyāmi veti vyavasāyo’rthasyādhikāraḥ, evaṃ vyavasīyamāno’rtho’dhikriyata iti |
(Vātsyānana’s Nyāya-bhāṣya on Nyāya-sūtra: 1.1.24)
“That object for which one takes up a means of attainment or [means of] avoidance because of a determination of [its] being to be attained or to be avoided is to be known as the aim (prayojana) on account of [its] being the cause of endeavor (pravṛtti). The regard towards the object is the determination, ‘I shall attain this object,’ or, ‘I shall avoid this object.’ Being so determined, the object is regarded.
yam artham adhikṛtyeti vyavasāyo’dhikāraḥ | kasya vyavasāyaḥ? sukha-duḥkha-sādhanānām | idaṁ sukha-sādhanam iti buddhvā sukhāvāptaye yatate | idaṁ duḥkha-sādhanam iti cādhigamya duḥkha-hānāyeti | sukha-duḥkhayor avāpti-hānābhyām ayaṁ lokaḥ prayujyata iti sukha-duḥkhāpti-hanī prayojanam iti |
(Udyottakara’s Nyāya-vārttika on Vatsyānana’s Nyāya-bhāṣya on Nyāya-sūtra: 1.1.24)
“[In the expression,] ‘The object in regard to which,’ the regard is a determination. A determination of what? Of a means to happiness and suffering. One endeavors to attain happiness upon having concluded, ‘This is a means to happiness,’ and one endeavors to avoid suffering after having concluded, ‘This is a means to suffering.’ Since this person [i.e., the common man] is motivated by attainment of happiness or avoidance of suffering, attainment of happiness and avoidance of suffering are the motives (prayojanas) [for all actions a person performs].”
yena prayuktaḥ pravartate tat prayojanam | yam artham abhīpsan jihāsan vā karmārabhate tenānena sarve prāṇinaḥ sarvāṇi karmāṇi sarvāś ca vidyā vyāptāḥ … | … pramāṇena khalv ayaṁ jñātārtham abhīpsati jihāsati vā | tasyepsā-jihāsā-prayuktasya samīhā pravṛttir ity ucyate | sāmarthyaṁ punar asyāḥ phalenābhisambandhaḥ | samīhamānas tam artham abhīpsan jihāsan vā tam artham āpnoti jahāti vā | arthas tu sukhaṁ sukha-hetuś ca, duḥkhaṁ duḥkha-hetuś ca |
(Vātsyānana’s Nyāya-bhāṣya on Nyāya-sūtra: 1.1.1)
“That motivated by which one acts is [called] the aim [alt., necessity, or, purpose] (prayojana). All living beings, all actions, and all knowledges [i.e., fields of knowledge], are pervaded by an object, desiring to attain or desiring to avoid which, action is undertaken [i.e., every action performed by every living being, and every form of knowledge, is inherently possessed of a prayojana]. … One desires to attain, or desires to avoid, an object apprehended by a means of knowing (pramāṇa). The striving of one motivated by desire to attain [an object] or desire to avoid [an object] is called an endeavor (pravṛtti). Further, the success of this [striving] is connection with [i.e., achievement of] the [desired] result. The striver, desiring to attain, or desiring to avoid, the object, either attains or avoids the object. The object is either happiness, a cause of happiness, suffering, or a cause of suffering.”
kiṁ punaḥ prayojanam iti? yena prayuktah pravartate tat prayojanam iti laukiko’yam arthaḥ | kena punaḥ prayujyate? dharmārtha-kāma-mokṣair iti kecit | vayaṃ tu paśyāmaḥ sukha-duḥkhāpti-hānibhyāṁ prayujyata iti | sukha-duḥkha-sādhana-bhāvāt tu sarve’rthāś cetanaṁ prayojayanti |
(Udyottakara’s Nyāya-vārttika on Vātsyānana’s Nyāya-bhāṣya on Nyāya-sūtra: 1.1.1)
“What, furthermore, is the aim (prayojana)? That motivated by which one acts is [called] the aim (prayojana). This is the common meaning. By what, furthermore, is one motivated? Some say by dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa. We, however, see that one is motivated by attainment of happiness and avoidance of suffering. And all objects motivate a conscious being on account of [their] being means to happiness or suffering.”