A joint team of epigraphists and philosophers has cataloged a rare 11th-century manuscript titled 'Pramana-Kaustubha' in a private collection in the Mithila region of Bihar. This work is a significant addition to the Nyaya-Vaisheshika tradition, specifically addressing the 'Logic of Doubt' and the criteria for valid sensory perception in complex environments.
The manuscript is particularly notable for its sophisticated analysis of optical illusions and the fallibility of human testimony. Researchers argue that the Pramana-Kaustubha demonstrates a level of epistemological rigor that rivals later European Enlightenment thinkers, particularly in its systematic categorization of Abhava (non-existence) as a detectable category of knowledge.