Verse 949

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

न चान्यरूपमन्यादृक्कुर्याज्ज्ञानं विशेषणम् ।
कथं चान्यादृशे ज्ञाने तदुच्येत विशेषणम् ॥ ९४९ ॥

na cānyarūpamanyādṛkkuryājjñānaṃ viśeṣaṇam |
kathaṃ cānyādṛśe jñāne taducyeta viśeṣaṇam || 949 ||

“The qualification cannot bring about a cognition which is like something totally different; for how can that be said to be the qualification in a cognition which is like something different?”—[Ślokavārtika-Apoha 89]—(949)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

“Granting that there is cognition of the Apoha,—even so, inasmuch as there can be no cognition of that form in regard to anyng, it could not rightly serve as its qualification—This is what is shown in the following—[see verse 949 above]

Every qualification is found to bring about in regard to the qualified thing a cognition in keeping with its own form; and one kind of qualification does not bring about a cognition like something else; e.g. the Blue does not produce in regard to the Lotus the cognition of Red; nor does the stick bring about in regard to the Stick-holder, the idea of his wearing ear-rings.—In the case in question also, the verbal cognition that appears in connection with the Horse„ etc. is not coloured by negative character; on the other hand, it partakes of the positive character.

It might be argued that—“Even when bringing about a cognition unlike itself, a qualification can be so called.”

The answer to that is—‘How can, etc. etc.’—‘Like something different’,—i.e. unlike the qualification itself.—(948)

Question:—“What would be the harm if it did?”

Answer:—[see verse 950 next]