Upamana in Mimamsa Darsana: The Art of Comparison as a Source of Knowledge In the rich tapestry of Hindu philosophy, the Mimamsa Darsana holds a unique place with its rigorous analysis of Vedic literature and the pursuit of valid means of knowledge. Among these epistemic tools, upamana—often translated as “comparison” or “analogy”—emerges as a significant source of understanding. Upamana enables one to draw connections between seemingly disparate objects or ideas by recognizing their similarities, thereby allowing knowledge to be inferred from one familiar entity to another less understood. The Concept of Upamana At its core, upamana involves the process of recognizing similarities between a known object and an unfamiliar one. The classic illustration is that of perceiving a rat and recollecting the mouse previously encountered. The mind, upon noting the resemblance, infers that the characteristics of the familiar mouse are applicable to the rat. This process is not merely a s...