anubhava

Indian philosophy

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June 18, 2026

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In Indian philosophy, anubhava refers to direct sensory perception, a crucial means of obtaining accurate knowledge (prama). This concept is fundamental to understanding the world and is one of the accepted pramana, or means of knowledge, within various Indian philosophical systems. While the exact number of accepted pramana varies, anubhava is consistently recognized as a primary source of understanding, alongside inference and word. This direct experience is contrasted with smriti, which is remembered perception. The concept of anubhava is also linked to ananda, or bliss, which is an attribute of the supreme being Brahman in the Upanishads and Vedanta schools.12

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pratyaksha
…two kinds, direct perception (anubhava) and remembered perception (smriti). Some schools make a further distinction between indiscriminate perception (nirvikalpaka), in which the object is perceived without its distinguishing features, and discriminate perception (savikalpaka), in which the distinguishing features are both observed and recognized. Indiscriminate perception is important
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…two kinds, direct perception (anubhava) and remembered perception (smriti). Some schools make a further distinction between indiscriminate perception (nirvikalpaka), in which the object is perceived without its distinguishing features, and discriminate perception (savikalpaka), in which the distinguishing features are both observed and recognized. Indiscriminate perception is important
Read More