Aprapyakari is a Mimamsa term which refers to a sense organ that functions without coming into contact with its objects. There are six sense organs – external organs of sight, hearing, taste, smell, touch and manas (the internal organ of the mind). A sense organ that functions by coming into contact with its objects is called prapyakari.
A perception is caused when the sense organs came in contact
with certain objects. When the skin, the organ of touch, comes into direct
contact with an object possessing the quality of touch, there arises a perception
of touch. When the tongue, the organ of taste, comes into direct contact with
an object possessing the quality of taste, with an object possessing the
quality of taste, perception of taste arises. These two organs are hence known
as prapyakari as they come into direct contact with their objects.
Even the olfactory organ is considered to be prapyakari as
the element of earth (responsible for the sense of smell), present in the nose,
is said to come into contact with an odorous substance in the air. The organs
of vision and hearing, on the other hand, are said to be aprapyakari as they grasp
their respective objects from a distance. They give a sense of awareness of
distance.
Also the organ of vision grasps the near and distant objects
simultaneously. It does not take the eye more time to reach a distant object
and less time to reach on closer to it. An eye comprehends objects like mountains
and others that are much bigger than itself.
The external functioning of the eye and the ear is said to
be gradually expanding outwards without any interruption. Like light, which reveals
color, and is of the nature of fire, the eye, the organ of vision, also reveals
color is of the nature of fire. Like a ray of light the stretch of vison goes
one expanding and terminates at the object.
Sound as a quality manifests by ether and the auditory
organ, the ear, is composed of ether. Thus these two sense organs, viz., the organ
of vision and the organ of hearing are termed as aprapyakari as they grasp
objects without any direct contact with their objects.