Abhava

(“[knowledge from] absence”) Abhava is
one of the two means of valid knowledge
(pramana) unique to the Purva
Mimamsa school of philosophy, the
other being presumption (arthapatti). All
Indian philosophical schools concern
themselves with codifying pramanas,
that is, the means by which human
beings can gain true and accurate knowledge. Behind this concern lies the basic
Hindu religious goal of learning to live,
act, and think in a way that leads to the
final liberation of the soul from the cycle
of reincarnation (samsara). Almost all
schools accept perception (pratyaksha),
inference (anumana), and authoritative
testimony (shabda) as pramanas. The
Purva Mimamsa school claims that
abhava, or perception of the absence of
something (“there is no jug in this room”),
is a means of knowledge that cannot be
accounted for by the other pramanas.