Verse 197

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

एकानुगामिकार्यत्वे पौर्वापर्यं विरुध्यते ।
रूपशब्दादिचित्तानां शक्तकारणसन्निधेः ॥ १९७ ॥

ekānugāmikāryatve paurvāparyaṃ virudhyate |
rūpaśabdādicittānāṃ śaktakāraṇasannidheḥ || 197 ||

If many things—such as the cognitions of colour, sound and the rest,—were the effects of a single continuous (permanent) cause,—then any order of sequence among such effects would be incongruous; as their efficient cause would be always there.—(197)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

Question—“How is it ascertained that the notion in question is wrong?”

The answer is provided in the following Text:—[see verse 197 above]

If the cognitions of the Blue and the rest were the effect of a single such Cause as the ‘Soul’, which is eternal, continues for all time, past and future,—then any order of sequence among such cognitions would be incongruous; as the efficient Cause being present, all the effects should appear simultaneously; specially as the eternal Cause cannot need the help of anything else; for the simple reason that it cannot be helped by anything else.—(197)