Abhava (“[knowledge from] absence”) is a Sanskrit word that means “[knowledge from] absence.”
- The Purva Mimamsa school of philosophy has two ways of legitimate knowledge (pramana), one of which is abhava and the other is assumption (arthapatti).
- All Indian philosophical traditions are concerned with codifying pramanas, or methods for human beings to acquire genuine and correct knowledge.
The fundamental Hindu religious aim of learning to live, act, and think in a manner that leads to the ultimate release of the soul from the cycle of rebirth is at the root of this issue (samsara).
- Pramanas are perception (pratyaksha), inference (anumana), and authoritative testimony (shabda) in almost all systems.
- Abhava, or the sense of the absence of something (“there is no jug in this room”), according to the Purva Mimamsa school, is a kind of knowledge that cannot be explained by the other pramanas.
You may also want to read more about Hinduism here.
