Verse 966

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

विधिरूपश्च शब्दार्थो येन नाभ्युपगम्यते ।
न भवेद्व्यतिरेकोऽपि तस्य तत्पूर्वको ह्यसौ ॥ ९६६ ॥

vidhirūpaśca śabdārtho yena nābhyupagamyate |
na bhavedvyatireko'pi tasya tatpūrvako hyasau || 966 ||

“When one does not admit the denotation of the word to be positive (affirmative) in character, there can be no negation also for him; as this is always preceded by that.”—[Ślokavārtika-Apoha 110]—(966)

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

“Then again, you hold the opinion that the Word and the Inferential Indicative,—in both of which affirmation forms the subordinate, and negation the predominant factor,—are expressive of their objects; and you have also made the following statement—‘When the denotation of another word has not been perceived, the relationship of the Word is easily deduced from the perception of even a part of what is denoted by it; and there can be no fallibility in this’.—All this is not right, under the theory of Apoha.”—This is what is shown in the following—[see verse 966 above]

‘Preceded by that’,—i.e. preceded by affirmation; that is Negation is only the denial of what has been affirmed.

Further, under the Apoha-theory, there is no possibility of the relation of qualification and qualified between Blue and Lotus, and the co-ordination between them,—which is perceived in actual experience.—(966)