Verse 518-519

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

नियमादात्महेतूत्थात्प्रथमक्षणभाविनः ।
यद्यतोऽनन्तरं जातं द्वितीयपक्षणसन्निधिः ॥ ५१८ ॥
तत्तज्जनयतीत्याहुरव्यापारेऽपि वस्तुनि ।
विवक्षामात्रसंभूतसङ्केतानुविधायिनः ॥ ५१९ ॥

niyamādātmahetūtthātprathamakṣaṇabhāvinaḥ |
yadyato'nantaraṃ jātaṃ dvitīyapakṣaṇasannidhiḥ || 518 ||
tattajjanayatītyāhuravyāpāre'pi vastuni |
vivakṣāmātrasaṃbhūtasaṅketānuvidhāyinaḥ || 519 ||

Though the thing is really inactive, yet on account of the restriction imposed by the nature of its cause which came into existence at the first moment, there appears, immediately afterwards, something coming into contact with the second moment; it is under these circumstances that the former is said to produce the latter;—such assertion being in accordance with a convention which is purely arbitrary, based upon the whim of the speaker.—(518-519)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

On account of the restriction imposed upon the potency of the Cause, arising from the Idea that gave rise to that Cause,—a particular Effect is produced from the Cause which has appeared at the first moment,—this Effect being in contact with,—i.e. appearing at—the second moment; it is then that the said ‘Cause’ is said to produce the said ‘Effect The mention of ‘producing’ is only by way of illustration; it should be understood to mean also that the Effect comes into existence on the basis of the Cause.

“Who are the people who speak of it as such?”

‘Such assertion, etc. etc.’—that is, thus say those persons who act in accordance with conventions based entirely upon the speaker’s wish, irrespectively of external realities.—(518-519)