The Tattvasangraha [with commentary]

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

This page contains verse 54 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 54.

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

सर्वकर्तृत्वसिद्धौ च सर्वज्ञत्वमयत्नतः ।
सिद्धमस्य यतः कर्ता कार्यरूपादिवेदकः ॥ ५४ ॥

sarvakartṛtvasiddhau ca sarvajñatvamayatnataḥ |
siddhamasya yataḥ kartā kāryarūpādivedakaḥ || 54 ||

“The fact of his being the creator of all things having been established, his omniscience is proved without effort; because the creator must be one who knows the form and all other details regarding what he has created.”—(54)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

Question—In what way is God’s omniscience proved, by virtue of which He should become an object of devotion for people seeking for Prosperity and the Highest Good?

The answer to tins is supplied by the following Text—[see verse 54 above]

This has been thus explained by Prashastamati and others:—“The omniscience of God is proved by the fact of His being the Cause (Creator) of the entire World; because the Creator must possess full knowledge of all such details regarding what he creates as its material and contributory causes, its use, its receiver and so forth. In the world, when a man makes anything, he knows its material cause, etc.; e.g. it is well known that the Potter who makes the Jar and such things, knows its material cause, in the shape of Clay-lump,—its contributory causes, in the shape of the Wheel, etc.,—its purpose, in the shape of Fetching Water and the like,—and its receiver, in the shape of the Householder (who uses it); similarly God, who creates all the worlds, knows their material causes, in the shape of the Atom, etc.,—their contributory causes, in the shape of Merit, Demerit, Space, Time and so-forth,—also the auxiliaries to their operation, in the shape of the Universal the Particular and Inherence,—their purpose, in the shape of the Experience (of Men),—and receivers in the shape of Men. This shows that He is omniscient.—One who knows the form and other details regarding what he has created;—‘Form and other details’,—‘Form’ stands for character: ‘other details’ stands for the Material Cause and the rest; the ‘Vedaka’ of these is one who knows. Such is the sense of the compound. The word ‘vedaka’ is to be grammatically explained either as included under the group of words beginning with ‘yājaka’, or as formed with the affix ‘aṇa’ in the passive sense—with the reflexiveka’ added to it.—The rest is easily intelligible.—(54)

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