Verse 964

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

न गम्यगमकत्वं स्यादवस्तुत्वादपोहयोः ।
भवत्पक्षे यथा लोके खपुष्पशशशृङ्गयोः ॥ ९६४ ॥

na gamyagamakatvaṃ syādavastutvādapohayoḥ |
bhavatpakṣe yathā loke khapuṣpaśaśaśṛṅgayoḥ || 964 ||

“There could be no relation of denoted and denotative between the two Apohas, because they are non-entities, under your view; just as the ‘sky-flower’ and the ‘hare’s horn’ are, according to ordinary people.”—[Ślokavārtika-Apoha 108]—(964)

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

So far it has been shown that the Proposition (of the Bauddha) is contrary to experience and to his own doctrines. Kumārila now proceeds to prove that it is open to the charge of involving the incongruity of the relation of ‘denoted and denotative’ being impossible, and also to that of being contrary to the Opponent’s own doctrines:—[see verse 964 above]

The relation of denoted and denotative cannot lie between what are non-entities; e.g. there can be no such relation between the ‘Sky-flower’ and the ‘Hare’s Horn’;—and the denoted and denotative Apohas are both non-entities;—hence there is perception of a character contrary to the character of wider extension.—(964)