The Tattvasangraha [with commentary]

by Ganganatha Jha | 1937 | 699,812 words | ISBN-10: 8120800583 | ISBN-13: 9788120800588

This page contains verse 40 of the 8th-century Tattvasangraha (English translation) by Shantarakshita, including the commentary (Panjika) by Kamalashila: dealing with Indian philosophy from a Buddhist and non-Buddhist perspective. The Tattvasangraha (Tattvasamgraha) consists of 3646 Sanskrit verses; this is verse 40.

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

प्रसादोद्वेगवरणान्येकस्मिन्पुंसि योगिनाम् ।
जायन्ते न च तद्रूपः पुमानभिमतः परैः ॥ ४० ॥

prasādodvegavaraṇānyekasminpuṃsi yoginām |
jāyante na ca tadrūpaḥ pumānabhimataḥ paraiḥ || 40 ||

For the followers of yoga, ‘satisfaction’, ‘dissatisfaction’ and ‘delusion’ are produced in the same spirit; and yet the other party do not hold the spirit to be of the essence of those.—(40)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

It has been asserted above (by the Sāṃkhya, under Text 14) that—“From the apprehension of such effects as Satisfaction, Irritation and Dejection, it follows that Sound and other objects are made up of Pleasure (Pain and Delusion)—The following text proceeds to show that the premiss herein set forth is Inconclusive:—[see verse 40 above]

Those followers of Yoga who accept the teachings of Kapila, when meditating upon the Spirit as distinguished from Primordial Matter, derive Satisfaction and Happiness, after having practised meditation of the Spirit in the right manner; but those who do not succeed in the practice of Meditation, and hence do not perceive the Spirit quickly enough, become beset with Dissatisfaction; while those who are, by their very nature, of dull intelligence, become beset with Delusion;—and yet the other Party do not regard the Spirit to be of the essence of these—i.e. to consist of the Three Attributes. From this it follows that the premiss stated in the form ‘Because of the apprehension of such Effects as Satisfaction, Dissatisfaction and Dejection’—is Inconclusive, ‘too wide’.

“As a matter of fact, however, Pleasure, etc. proceed from Volition (Determination, the function of Cosmic Intelligence), not from the Spirit.”

The same might be said of Sound and the rest also; and in that case, as all these objects (Sound, etc.) would be products of mere Volition, there could be no such things as External Pleasure, etc.; because ‘Volition’ is of the nature of Consciousness, purely subjective. For the same reason the proposition that “Cognition or Experience is of the nature of Satisfaction (Dissatisfaction and Dejection), through the influence of such impositions as those of external Pleasure, etc.”—also becomes rejected. Specially because, even without the imposition of such external things, Happiness, etc. are actually found to appear entirely on the substratum of the Spirit itself. How too could the imposition of something else bring about the well-known feeling of Pleasure, etc. which appears independently of the proximity of external things, from the mere contemplation of what is agreeable and disagreeable?

It might be said that “the Mind also (wherein this Contemplation takes place) would be made up of the Three Attributes through the imposition of the same

But that cannot be; because by the assertion that “That which is independent of all other illumining agencies and is self-sufficient, etc.” it has been established that it is of the nature of Consciousness.

From all this it follows that the reason put forward (by the Sāṃkhya)—“Because of homogeneity”—is ‘Inadmissible’, ‘unproven’,—(40)

Like what you read? Consider supporting this website: