Verse 222 (Mīmāṃsaka’s conception of the ‘Self’)

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

व्यावृत्त्यनुगमात्मानमात्मानमपरे पुनः ।
चैतन्यरूपमिच्छन्ति चैतन्यं बुद्धिलक्षणम् ॥ २२२ ॥

vyāvṛttyanugamātmānamātmānamapare punaḥ |
caitanyarūpamicchanti caitanyaṃ buddhilakṣaṇam || 222 ||

Others again have declared the ‘soul’ to be of the nature of caitanya, sentience, exclusive and inclusive in character;—this caitanya (sentience) being the same as buddhi (intelligence).—(222)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

The Author next proceeds to refute the Mīmāṃsaka’s Conception of the ‘Soul’:—[see verse 222 above]

‘Exclusive’ in character;—the states of Pleasure, Pain, etc. (wherein the Soul is perceived) are mutually exclusive;—‘inclusive’ in character,—such character as ‘Intelligence’, ‘Substance’, and ‘Being’ are ‘inclusive’ or ‘comprehensive’ (inasmuch as they serve the purpose of ‘comprehending’ or including, not excluding);—these two, ‘exclusion’ and ‘inclusion’ form the ‘character’,—characteristic feature—of the Soul.—What is meant is that the followers of Jaimini declare the ‘Soul’ to be of the nature of ‘Sentience’ (Consciousness), and to be ‘exclusive’ in the form of the states of Pleasure, Pain, etc., and ‘inclusive’ or ‘comprehensive’ in the form of ‘Being’ and the rest.—This Caitanya, ‘Sentience’, is not anything different from Buddhi, ‘Intelligence’,—as held by the Sāṃkhyas (according to whom Buddhi is Cosmic Intellect, a product of Primordial Matter, while Caitanya belongs to the Spirit];—it is in fact Buddhi, ‘Intelligence’, itself. This is what is shown in the text—‘Sentience’ being the same as ‘Intelligence’; that is, it is only a form of Intelligence; the sense is that apart from Intelligence, no other form of ‘Sentience’ is recognised.—(222)