naimittika

Naimittika is a term from Indian philosophy, derived from Sanskrit meaning “for the occasion” or “occasional.” In scholarly discussions of causation, naimittika refers to an external, contingent factor that makes a particular effect occur only under certain conditions. It is contrasted with more permanent or intrinsic aspects of causation, and with other classifications of cause used in classical debates about how and why things happen.

In Nyaya-Vaisheshika and related schools, causation is analyzed into factors that are always present versus those that arise only in specific circumstances. Naimittika causes are invoked to explain why certain effects do not occur universally but appear only at particular times or under particular conditions. They are not considered the inherent or necessary parts of a thing’s operation, but rather as occasion-specific influences that enable a given outcome.

Commonly cited examples illustrate contingency rather than universal necessity: for instance, rain occurs when a specific meteorological situation arises, so the weather event acts as a naimittika cause for rain in a given location and time. Similarly, ritual or ritual-related phenomena may be explained by naimittika factors that operate only under defined conditions. The concept helps philosophers account for phenomena that are not tied to a thing’s essential nature and are instead dependent on external circumstances.