DVAITA VEDANTA
143
They are wrong. If consistency or successfulness is to determine the truth of knowledge, then what is it that determines the truth of the thought of consistency or successfulness? To accept some other consistency or successfulncss as determining its truth never solves the problem, since the thought of the new consistency or successfulness needs to be determined. To hold that this thought is itself given as true invalidates the position that the truth of knowledge is determined by consistency or successfulness. This implies that the truth of knowledge is self-evident. The fact that sa\si apprehends knowledge with its truth is only a general rule. It has some exceptions. Under particulai circumstances the truth of knowledge may be doubted. In this case sa/^si apprehends only the knowledge but not its truth. The truth of this knowledge needs to be determined by means of external agencies such as consistency and successfulness. In the conscious presence of these agencies sa\si apprehends the truth of the knowledge. Under peculiar circumstances the knowledge in question may indecisively be determined as true. But this determination is net the work of sa/yi. To hold that it is the work of sa\sl is not consistent with the nature of sa\fi whose work is always correct. So the indecisive determination is the work of manas. In this case of knowledge r<%i comprehends only the knowledge and owing to the circumstances is indifferent towards its truth. For the same reason there is the indecisive determination of truth by manas. That the determination is indecisive is brought to light when the truth of knowledge is doubted on the basis of other considerations. This circumstance may be illustrated by means, of the following example. Suppose a person is told that there is water at a spot near by. Then he doubts if the information is correct. Next he observes the effects of the presence of water such as cool air. He concludes that there is water. It may be supposed that he next somehow doubts the validity of his conclusion. He proposes to examine the thing. He goes to the spot where water was supposed to be. He perceives water. He drinks it. He gets satisfaction. Satisfaction is an aspect of happiness. It is enjoyed by sa\si. This enjoyment consists in sa\sl's knowing the satisfaction. Since this knowledge is produced by sa\si there can be no doubt about its truth. From the truth of this knowledge it inevitably follows that the know ledge of water is true and therefore that the water is real.