Arthāpatti
अर्थापत्तिस्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine) · अर्थ (artha — meaning, fact) + आपत्ति (āpatti — arriving at, postulation)
arthāpatti
Epistemology
Presumption — postulating something necessary to explain an observed fact
Arthāpatti is the postulation of a fact necessary to make something already known coherent. Classic example: 'Devadatta is fat but does not eat during the day' — one must postulate that he eats at night, otherwise the two facts would be contradictory. In Vedānta, arthāpatti operates when one needs to reconcile apparently contradictory statements of the scriptures.
Using this in academic work? Get formal citation
Vishva Vidya (2026). Arthāpatti (अर्थापत्ति). Vishva Vidya — Vedanta. https://vedanta.com.br/en/glossary/arthapatti
Vishva Vidya. "Arthāpatti (अर्थापत्ति)." Vishva Vidya — Vedanta, January 1, 2026, https://vedanta.com.br/en/glossary/arthapatti.
Vishva Vidya. "Arthāpatti (अर्थापत्ति)." Vishva Vidya — Vedanta, January 1, 2026. https://vedanta.com.br/en/glossary/arthapatti.
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