The Tattvasangraha [with commentary]
by Ganganatha Jha | 1937 | 699,812 words | ISBN-10: 8120800583 | ISBN-13: 9788120800588
This page contains verse 275 of the 8th-century Tattvasangraha (English translation) by Shantarakshita, including the commentary (Panjika) by Kamalashila: dealing with Indian philosophy from a Buddhist and non-Buddhist perspective. The Tattvasangraha (Tattvasamgraha) consists of 3646 Sanskrit verses; this is verse 275.
Verse 275
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:
निरालम्बन एवायमहङ्कारः प्रवर्त्तते ।
अनादिसत्त्वदृग्बीजप्रभावात्क्वचिदेव हि ॥ २७५ ॥nirālambana evāyamahaṅkāraḥ pravarttate |
anādisattvadṛgbījaprabhāvātkvacideva hi || 275 ||As a matter of fact, the ‘notion of I’ comes about without a real basis, through the force of the beginningless seed of the vision of being; and that also only in some places.—(275)
Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):
It has been argued (under Text 229) that “The conception of I in the notion I know apprehends the Cogniser”;—the following Text proceeds to show that this is ‘unproven’ (not admitted by all parties):—[see verse 275 above]
The said ‘I-notion’ has no real background, by virtue of which the ‘Cogniser’ could form its object.
“If that is so, then what is the cause of its origin?”
The answer is that—It proceeds from the beginningless, etc. etc. ‘Vision of Being’ is the vision of the existing body;—the ‘seed’ of this vision is the Potency of Dispositions; and this ‘seed’ is beginningless;—and it is through the force of this that ‘I-consciousness’ is brought about;—and that also only in some places,—i.e. only in the internal economy of the Sextuple Body.—(275)