Verse 243

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

स्वरूपेण तथा वह्निर्नित्यं दहनधर्मकः ।
उपनीतं दहत्यर्थं दाह्यं नान्यन्न चान्यदा ॥ २४३ ॥

svarūpeṇa tathā vahnirnityaṃ dahanadharmakaḥ |
upanītaṃ dahatyarthaṃ dāhyaṃ nānyanna cānyadā || 243 ||

“Though, by its very nature, fire is always of the nature of a burner, it burns only what is presented to it,—and that also only a thing that is capable of being burnt,—not any other thing, nor at any other time.”—(243)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

Fire is eternally of the nature of a Burner, and yet it does not burn all things at all times. It burns only what is brought to it;—and then also, It burns only a thing that is capable of being burnt,—and not the Sky or any such thing.—(243)

In the following Text, he cites another example:—[see verses 244-245 next]