Samjna

Samjna, or saṃjñā in Sanskrit, is a term used in Indian philosophy and linguistics that roughly translates as designation, conception, or recognition. It derives from sam (together, completely) and jñā (to know), reflecting its sense as the cognitive act by which a sign or perception is applied to a specific object. In this sense, samjna is the mental content that allows something to be identified as a particular kind of thing, such as a red flower or a cow, enabling language and thought about that object.

In epistemology and logic, samjna is often discussed as a component of knowledge. Classical Indian theories of pramana describe how perception (pratyakṣa) or inference (anumāna) yields information that must later be designated or recognized as referring to a real object. Thus samjna functions as the act of recognizing and applying a name or concept to the thing known. Different schools distinguish nuances of samjna, such as whether designation is immediate with perception or requires further conceptual processing.

Scholarly usage varies among traditions. In Nyaya–Vaisheshika debates, samjna is treated as a mental operation that assigns a universal or class name to particulars. In Vedanta and other Hindu systems, it appears in analyses of how perception and language connect with reality and with the self. Buddhist and Jain texts use cognate terms to describe the mental labeling that accompanies experience and contributes to cognition and discourse.

Today, samjna is discussed in the philosophy of language and cognitive science as the bridge between sensory input, conceptual content, and linguistic reference. It highlights how minds categorize and name the world, shaping how we think and communicate about objects and events.