anyonyāśraya

 The Sanskrit word anyonyāśraya is written in Devanagari as अन्योन्याश्रय

Bold answer: The correct Devanagari spelling is अन्योन्याश्रय.

✅ Breakdown of the word

• anyo‑nya — “mutual, reciprocal”
• āśraya — “dependence, reliance, support”

Together, anyonyāśraya means mutual dependence, often with the nuance of circular dependence.

✅ Pronunciation guide

• a‑nyo‑nya‑ā‑śra‑ya
• The long ā in āśraya is important for correct Sanskrit pronunciation.
• The ś is the palatal ś (श), not ṣ (ष) or s (स).

✅ Transliteration variants

Depending on the transliteration system, you may see:

• anyonyāśraya (IAST – the most standard)
• anyonyaśraya (less precise ASCII transliteration)
• anyonya-āśraya (hyphenated for clarity)

All correspond to the same Devanagari form: अन्योन्याश्रय.

✅ Meaning and philosophical context

In classical Indian philosophy—especially Nyāya, Vedānta, and Buddhist logic—anyonyāśraya refers to a logical fallacy where two propositions depend on each other for proof.

Examples of how the term is used:

• A claims B is true because of C, but C is true only if B is true.
• Two definitions that rely on each other without independent grounding.

This is one of the traditional hetvābhāsa (fallacies) discussed in Sanskrit logic.

✅ Related terms

• cakraka (चक्रक) — circular reasoning
• anavasthā (अनवस्था) — infinite regress
• hetvābhāsa (हेत्वाभास) — fallacious reasoning

These often appear together in discussions of epistemology and valid inference.

✅ When this spelling is used

You might need अन्योन्याश्रय for:

• Academic writing on Indian philosophy
• Sanskrit studies
• Transliteration correction
• Preparing teaching materials or presentations
• Understanding classical commentaries

✅ Quick reference

• IAST: anyonyāśraya
• Devanagari: अन्योन्याश्रय
• Meaning: mutual dependence; circular dependence; a logical fallacy

Anyonyāśraya means mutual dependence, and in Indian logic—especially

Nyāya—it names a fallacy where two claims each depend on the other for proof,

making both invalid.

Core meaning across dictionaries

• Defined as “mutual or reciprocal support, connection, or dependence” in 
• Sanskrit lexicons

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• Appears in many Indian languages (Marathi, Hindi, Nepali, Kannada) with
• the same sense of interdependence or reciprocity

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In classical Indian philosophy (Nyāya)

Nyāya treats anyonyāśraya as a defect in reasoning—a type of tarka 

(hypothetical reasoning) that exposes an argument’s impossibility.

• It is a fallacy where concept A can be established only if concept B is 
• already known, but B itself requires A

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• Hindupedia describes it as a situation where a concept cannot be 
• understood without reference to another concept, and vice‑versa,
• making the reasoning circular and invalid

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Illustrative examples (from the sources):

• “If the body is produced by karma, how is karma produced?”—each 
• explanation depends on the other

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• Recognizing a pot: “I know it is a pot because I see it; but I could not see 
• it as a pot unless I already knew it was a pot”

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Technical elaboration in Nyāya texts

Wisdom Library notes that Nyāya classifies anyonyāśraya as one of the 

five forms of faulty reasoning, alongside ātmāśraya, cakraka, anavasthā, and tadanyabādhitārthaprasaṅga

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It can appear in three modes depending on whether the dependence concerns:

• origin (utpatti)
• actuality or existence (sthiti)
• cognition or comprehension (jñapti)

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In Sāṅkhya philosophy

Sāṅkhya uses the term to describe the mutual support of the three

guṇas—sattva, rajas, and tamas—each depending on the others for 

function and manifestation

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In general usage

Across Indian languages, the term simply means:

• mutual dependence
• reciprocal support
• interdependent relationship

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How it differs from related fallacies

• Ātmāśraya: self-dependence (a claim depends on itself).
• Anavasthā: infinite regress (each claim requires another explanation endlessly).
• Anyonyāśraya: two claims depend on each other.
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Summary

Anyonyāśraya is both a general term for interdependence and a precise

logical fallacy in Indian philosophy where two propositions rely on each

other for justification, making both untenable.