Verse 771-772

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

न निमित्तानुरूपा चेत्सर्वस्मिन्बुद्धिरिष्यते ।
यतस्सेनादिबुद्धीनां सङ्ख्यादीष्टं निबन्धनम् ॥ ७७१ ॥
यद्येवमियमेष्वेव भेदेष्विष्टा न किं मतिः ।
इच्छारचितसङ्केतभेदाभोगानुसारिणी ॥ ७७२ ॥

na nimittānurūpā cetsarvasminbuddhiriṣyate |
yatassenādibuddhīnāṃ saṅkhyādīṣṭaṃ nibandhanam || 771 ||
yadyevamiyameṣveva bhedeṣviṣṭā na kiṃ matiḥ |
icchāracitasaṅketabhedābhogānusāriṇī || 772 ||

“In all cases the notion is not in exact accordance with its basis,—inasmuch as the notions of ‘army’, ‘forest’ and the like have number, etc. for their basis”;—if such be the view, then, why should not the said notion in regard to these diverse things also be held to be based upon the diversity of the body of conventions set up by one’s own whim?—(771-772)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

Bhāvivikta has argued as follows It is not held that in every case, the Notion is exactly in keeping with its Cause (or basis). For instance, the number ‘Plurality’ subsisting (a) in Elephants and Horses, or (b) in the Dhava and Khadira trees, forms the basis of the notions of (a) the ‘Army’ and (b) the ‘Forest’;—similarly the mixture of several heterogeneous substances forms the basis of the notions of ‘drinks’, ‘fermented gruel’ and the like. Otherwise (i.e. if the resultant notion must be exactly in keeping with its basis) the notions in question should have been of (a) ‘Many’ and (b) ‘Mixture’”.

This is the argument that is anticipated and answered in the following—[see verses 771-772 above]

‘The said notion’,—i.e. the Comprehensive notion.

The ‘diversity’—i.e. Peculiarity of the Conventions.—(771-772)

Question:—“What is the peculiarity on the basis whereof this statement is made?”

Answer:—[see verses 773-774 next]