The Tattvasangraha [with commentary]

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

This page contains verse 93b 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 93b.

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

तत्सिद्धौ साधनं प्रोक्तं जैमनीयेषु राजते ॥ ९३ ॥

tatsiddhau sādhanaṃ proktaṃ jaimanīyeṣu rājate || 93 ||

Your reasonings may not be beset with the defects urged above; and yet the creator cannot be one, because the falsity of such a proposition has been shown above; and when the oneness of the creator is not proved, wherein could ‘omniscience’ subsist?—(92-93a)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

It has been argued (under Text 55) that “The theory under dispute must be perceptible to someone, etc. etc.”.

The answer to this is provided by the following Text:—[see verse 93b above]

If what you seek to prove is only an ‘Omniscient Being’ in general, then your proofs have no force against us; as it proves what is already admitted by us. In fact, it is effective only against the followers of Jaimini who deny the ‘Omniscient Being’ entirely.

If however what you seek to prove is the ‘omniscient’ God, then as there can be no Invariable Concomitance, the Reason is ‘inconclusive’, and the Corroborative Instance is devoid of the Probandum. For all these reasons, your arguments are not effective against us. Such is the meaning of the Text.

The Theist, in his arguments, has made use of such qualifications for the Subject of his argument as ‘appearing in various forms’, But there is no use for such an epithet; it is only a loud enunciation of your views for the purpose of deluding other people. For instance, if, in the absence of such epithets for the Subject, the Probans is free from the defects of being ‘unproven’ and the like, then that alone suffices for proving the desired conclusion;—on the other hand, if the Reason is defective by reason of being ‘unproven’ and the like, then, even on the introducing of the said epithet, the desired conclusion is not established. Hence in every way the qualification added is absolutely useless.—Further, the Probans is one whose very substratum is ‘unknown’, ‘unproven’; as the other party knows of no such subject or entity as is possessed of the qualification in question. Hence the Subject should not be one that is known to your Philosophy only.—(93b)

Here ends the Examination of the Doctrine of God.

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