Verse 9

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

कस्माच्च नियतान्येव शालिबीजादिभेदतः ।
उपादानानि गृह्णन्ति तुल्येऽसत्त्वेऽपरं न तु ॥ ९ ॥

kasmācca niyatānyeva śālibījādibhedataḥ |
upādānāni gṛhṇanti tulye'sattve'paraṃ na tu || 9 ||

“How is it that people have recourse to only specific causes, in the shape of such diverse things as the paddy-seed and the like, and not any other,—even though the nonexistence (of the desired effect or product) is equal (everywhere)?”

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

In support of the second reason set forth [as above, in Sāṃkhyakārikā. 9, “Because there is always recourse to the Cause”], the following argument has been put forward (by the Sāṃkhya):—[see verse 9 above]

“If the Effect were non-existent, then people would not have had recourse to only specific causes (productive of particular Products). For instance, when a man wants paddy-grains, he takes up paddy-seeds, not Kodrava-seeds; when a man, thinking of feeding Brāhmaṇas the next day, wishes to have curds ready for the purpose, he secures a supply of milk, not water. As regards the ‘non-existence’ of the Paddy-grain or the Curd, this ‘non-existence’ (according to the Opponent) is there as much in the Paddy-seed as in the Kodrava-seed (and as much in milk as in water); then how is it, that though the ‘non-existence’ of the Paddy-grain and other products is equal everywhere (in the Paddy-seed as well as in other seeds), yet it is only the specific seeds that are secured; the persons wanting the paddy-grain could secure the Kodrava and other seeds also,—inasmuch as the Paddy-grain would be as ‘non-existent’ in these latter as in the Paddy-seeds.—If it be urged that those other seeds are not secured by people because the desired grain is not there in them,—then, in that case, the person wanting paddy-grain also should not secure the Paddy-seed, as the desired grain is not there also (according to the Opponent),—exactly as in the Kodrava-seed. But this is what never happens. Hence it follows that the particular Effect (Paddy-grain) is actually present in the particular Cause (Paddy-seed).”—(9)