Verse 166-167

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

स्वहेतुबलसंभूता नियता एव शक्तयः ।
असर्वकालभाविन्यो ज्वलनादिषु वस्तुषु ॥ १६६ ॥
अन्यथा यौगपद्येन सर्वं कार्यं समुद्भवेत् ।
तेषामपि न चेदेष नियमोऽभ्युपगम्यते ॥ १६७ ॥

svahetubalasaṃbhūtā niyatā eva śaktayaḥ |
asarvakālabhāvinyo jvalanādiṣu vastuṣu || 166 ||
anyathā yaugapadyena sarvaṃ kāryaṃ samudbhavet |
teṣāmapi na cedeṣa niyamo'bhyupagamyate || 167 ||

In the case of such things as fire and the like, their powers are dependent upon the efficiency of their own causes, and hence restricted in their operations, and consequently not effective at all times. if it were not so, all effects would come into existence simultaneously,—if in their case also there were no such restriction.—(166-167)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

Question—“If this is so, then how is it that the effects of Fire and other things do not come about simultaneously?”

The answer is provided in the following Text:—[see verses 166-167 above]

‘Teṣām’—of Fire and such things.—The particle ‘api’, ‘also’, implies that what is urged is applicable not to the case of ‘God’ only,—‘If there were no such restriction’,—that is, the restriction due to the efficiency of their own causes.—(166-167)