Verse 273

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

तन्नित्यशब्दवाच्यत्वं नात्मनो विनिवार्यते ।
स्वरूपविक्रियावत्त्वाद्व्युच्छेदस्तस्य विद्यते ॥ २७३ ॥

tannityaśabdavācyatvaṃ nātmano vinivāryate |
svarūpavikriyāvattvādvyucchedastasya vidyate || 273 ||

For these reasons, we are not denying the fact of the soul being spoken of by the term ‘eternal’; but on account of its form being subject to modification, there mest be destrection of it.—(273)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

The revered Diṅnāga having declared that—‘if the fact of the Soul being modified on the appearance of Cognition meant the non-eternity of that Soul, then, there can be no 0ogniser in the shape of the Soul not modified’;—in answer to this declaration, Kumārila has argued as follows:—“We are not denying the fact of the Soul being expressed (spoken of) by the term ‘non-eternal’; but if the term meant mere modification, then that alone would not imply the destruction of the Soul.”—(Ślokavārtika, Ātmavāda, 22).

Against this the Author states the following objection, which also serves to sum up his own conclusion:—[see verse 273 above]

For these reasons, we are not denying the fact of the Soul being spoken of as ‘eternal’,—on the ground that Sentience, which is in a State of perpetual flux, continues undestroyed, along with its Cause, as long as the world lasts. But its form,—nature—being subject to modification, as there is always the abandoning of the preceding and the appearance of the succeeding form,—its liability to destruction is clearly indicated.—(273)