Verse 2.610

Sanskrit text and transliteration:

नद्यास्तीरे फलानीव प्रत्यक्षाद्यनपेक्षतः ।
किमिवेहान्यमानेषु तावापेक्षाऽभिधाश्रुतेः ॥ ६१० ॥

nadyāstīre phalānīva pratyakṣādyanapekṣataḥ |
kimivehānyamāneṣu tāvāpekṣā'bhidhāśruteḥ || 610 ||

English translation of verse 2.610:

Unlike the statement, “There are fruits on the bank of the river,” (uttered by a trustworthy person), the śruti text which has the power to convey the knowledge does not depend on perception, etc. Where, then, is the need of other pramāṇas here?

Notes:

That there is no need of other pramāṇas like perception for obtaining the knowledge of Brahman can be explained by means of an example. Consider the following statement of a trustworthy person: “There are fruits on the bank of the river.” A person who hears this statement has to depend upon perception with a view to confirm the truth of this statement. The information conveyed by him is such that it can be known through perception. But in the case of scriptural utterance like tat tvam asi, the knowledge conveyed by it cannot be confirmed by pramāṇas like perception, for Brahman which is trans-empirical does not fall within the scope of perception and other pramāṇas. It means that perception and other pramāṇas, whose validity is restricted to things empirical, are of no avail for obtaining the knowledge of Brahman.