shabda pramana | शब्द प्रमाण

Shabda Pramana (Devanagari: शब्द प्रमाण; ISO 15919: śabda pramāṇa) refers to Verbal Testimony or Scriptural Evidence.

The Irrefutable Word In Vedic philosophy, Shabda Pramana is defined as evidence based on words that are irrefutable and free from human defect.

The Ultimate Authority The Vedas are the only source of absolute Shabda Pramana.

• Divine Origin: Since the Vedas are the eternal law of God (Apaurusheya), they are considered the "final evidence" or ultimate authority on spiritual matters.
• Hierarchy of Scriptures: Other scriptures—such as the Puranas , Smritis , Darshan Shastra , Itihas—can be used as evidence only if they agree with the Vedas. If a text contradicts the Vedas, its testimony is rejected in favor of the Vedic authority.

Further Reading and Reference

• Alternate Spelling: shabd praman
• Related Concepts:
  • pratyaksha pramana
  • anumana pramana
  • prasthana trai
  • Why cite from so many scriptures?
• Reference: Who am I? Who is Mine? Vol. 1, Ch. 1