pramāṇam
Means of knowledge; ajñāta jñāpakam.
In Vedanta
A valid means of knowledge — that which reveals what was previously unknown and is not contradicted. Vedānta accepts six pramāṇas: pratyakṣam (perception), anumānam (inference), upamānam (comparison), arthāpattiḥ (postulation), anupalabdhiḥ (non-apprehension), and śabdaḥ (verbal testimony). For knowledge of Brahman, śabdapramāṇam — the words of the Upaniṣads — is the only valid means, since Brahman is not an object of perception or inference.