In Indian philosophy, paksha is one of the pieces of the recognized form of
an inference (anumana).
An assertion (pratijna), a reason (hetu), and an example
(drshtanta) are the three words used to describe an infer ence.
Each of these three phrases has its own set of component
pieces.
The paksha is a portion of the first phrase, the assertion,
and it refers to the category of things that must be demonstrated.
In the standard example, "There is fire on that
mountain because there is smoke on that mountain," the paksha is
"that mountain," or the category of items concerning which the
assertion must be proven.
The class that makes up the paksha must also appear as the
common connection between the two parts in the second term of the inference,
the reason (as in "this mountain is on fire, because this mountain is
smoking").
As a result, the paksha serves as a connecting connection
between the claim and the explanation, guaranteeing that the latter is relevant
to the former.
The term paksha refers to the month's two "half"
in the context of a lunar month.
The waxing half is the Shukla Paksha, while the declining
half is the Krishna Paksha.
