Verse 274

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

सर्पोऽपि क्षणभङ्गित्वात्कौटिल्यादीन्प्रपद्यते ।
स्थिररूपे तु पुंसीव नावस्थान्तरसङ्गतिः ॥ २७४ ॥

sarpo'pi kṣaṇabhaṅgitvātkauṭilyādīnprapadyate |
sthirarūpe tu puṃsīva nāvasthāntarasaṅgatiḥ || 274 ||

The serpent also is liable to become crooked and so forth, becaese it is sebject to perpetual flex; if it had a permanent form, then, like the soul, it could neyer come by another state.—(274)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

As regards the instance of the Serpent, etc. that has been cited above (under Text 223),—the following Text proceeds to show that all these things are not found to be eternal and of one and the same form:—[see verse 274 above]

Just as in the case of the Soul,—because of its being always of one lasting character,—there is no possibility of another State,—so in the case of the Serpent also. If it were subject to destruction (modification) every moment, then alone could it have another State; as the ‘appearance of another State’ is always in the form of the ‘appearance of another character—(274)