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DIŃNAGA ON TRIKALA-P.AIUK$A : AN EXPLORATION INTO SOME AYENUES... 123

kind of rationale it is backed by together with some of the important implications,

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results and consequeńces they lead to. That is, the comprehensive conceptual framework of Dińn2ga’s philosophy should come to be mapped so carefully that we neilher neglect any aspect of it, nor do we mistake any part of its convenientIy for the whole. We should not obliterate the possibility and lines of growth and development in its very conception either. In so doing, we would not only be required to take inlo account his various works, reference, if any, contained in them to his predccessors and contemporaries, but refcrences to his writing and views in the writings of his contemporaries and successors as well, no matter whcther like-mindcd or otherwise. It is this sort of approach reinforced by the positive and negalive feed-back, which one would receive in the process, is likely to enable one to map and carlograph conlours and curvatures dccisively important in one*s bcing able to make a significant contribulion to the dcvclopmental account of history of philosophical ideas of Indian origin being presented at all. Instead of palienlly accomplishing task of this kind, hurricdly accomplished one is morę likely to lcave many desirable concerns untouchcd in it.

With such precautions in the background, one may profitably pay a little conccrtcd altcnlion to such hilherto almost ncglcclcd works of Dińnaga like T.P. and carefully study the sort of clues they arc likely to make available for better understanding of Dińaga*s philosophy. Unlcss, however, one is elear about the rationale behind Dińnaga's writing such works in the coursc of his philosophical carecr, one’s understanding about it would be dcficient, and on the basis of such a dcfcctive understanding one is unlikely to get any illuminaiive clue to untie the knols in comprehcnding Dińn2ga’s philosophy, together with its originality and great significance propcrly. It is for this rcason that we make an humble atlcmpt to arliculate the rationale of writing such works as T.P. by DińnSga in the next section.

II

Place of Works like T.P. in Dińnaga's Conceptual Geography

In the preceding section we passingly talkcd of the conceptual framework of Dińn2ga*s philosophy, and stated that our proper comprchcnsion of the latter can only be tcnablc, if it is through appropriate understanding of the former. This bcing the case, it bccomcs ncccssary to inąuire into some clues, inclusive of those supplied by T.P. hclpful in formulaling conceptual framework of Dińnaga as a means to understanding his philosophy.

Although, it is truć that every important philosophical trend is embedded in its respeclive conceptual framework, such a conceptual framework ncither bccomes available rcady-made ovemight nor does it remain encapsulatcd solely in analysis and understanding of the meaning and significance of a parlicular conccpt figuring in arliculalion of that trend. Whal is true of a certain