Defining Colour in Tarkasaṅgraha and its Commentaries

Annambhaṭṭa’s Tarkasaṅgraha is a primer for introducing students to Nyāya phi- losophy. More than twenty-five commentaries have been published on this text. Annambhaṭṭa defines colour as the quality that can only be grasped by the visual sense faculty. In this paper, I present an intellectual thread across these commen- taries by illustrating the evolution of perspectives on Tarkasaṅgraha’s definition of colour. Cases are shown where insertions were added to the definition, either to avoid logical inconsistencies, or to further develop philosophical thought. The commentary, Nīlakaṇṭhaprakāśikā, presents an interpretation that leads to an invalid conclusion and then provides a correction. Tarkasaṅgrahasarvasvam, Śaktisanjīvinī and Āloka expand the definition in the navyanyāya style. Ṭippaṇi shows how the definition has implications in other theories. Lastly, I analyse Nṛsiṃhaprakāśikā’s evaluation and refinement of definitions on the basis of parsimony, and its argument on why Tarkasaṅgraha’s definition is equally sufficient.