In a private family library in the Mithila region of Bihar, researchers have identified a complete copy of the 'Pramana-Sara', an 11th-century treatise on the 'essence of evidence'. The manuscript, written in the Maithili script of the period, outlines a unique epistemological framework that prioritizes Arthapatti (presumption) as the most reliable means of understanding non-perceivable realities.
This discovery provides a missing link in the development of the Mithila school of logic, which later influenced legal and philosophical systems across South Asia. The text contains a series of debates between the author and various contemporary schools, offering a vivid snapshot of the intellectual vibrancy of 11th-century Bihar. It notably includes a section on the 'ethics of doubt' as a prerequisite for spiritual realization.