Verse 468

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

साध्येन विकलं तावदाद्ये हेतौ निदर्शनम् ।
हेतुत्वाद्विषयः सर्वो न हि स्वज्ञानकालिकः ॥ ४६८ ॥

sādhyena vikalaṃ tāvadādye hetau nidarśanam |
hetutvādviṣayaḥ sarvo na hi svajñānakālikaḥ || 468 ||

In the first reasoning, the corroborative instance is devoid of the probandum, as it is all included under the probans; and all objects of cognition are not always synchronous with their cognition.—(468)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

‘In the first reasoning’,—where the Reason (Probans) is stated in the form ‘because it is spoken of as the Cognition of that’ (under Texts 462-463).—As a matter of fact, the first Cognition of the Moon, etc. also does not appertain to the Moon, etc. as existing at the time of the Cognition;—because what forms the object of the cognition is what is included under the Probans itself. Further, it is not possible for any causal relation to subsist between synchronous things. It has been thus asserted:—‘What does not exist could have no previous potentiality, and it could have no use later on; all causes must exist before (these effects); hence the object cannot exist along with its own cognition’.—(468)

The following Text proceeds to show that the Reason is ‘inconclusive’, even with the qualification ‘though not apprehended as related to the Earth’ (under Text 463):—[see verse 469 next]