Verse 1017-1018

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

बाह्यार्थाध्यवसायेन प्रवृत्तं प्रतिबिम्बकम् ।
उत्पादयति येनेयं तेनाहेत्यपदिश्यते ॥ १०१७ ॥
नतु स्वलक्षणात्मानं स्पृशत्येषा विभेदिनम् ।
तन्मात्रांशातिरेकेण नास्त्यस्या अभिधाक्रिया ॥ १०१८ ॥

bāhyārthādhyavasāyena pravṛttaṃ pratibimbakam |
utpādayati yeneyaṃ tenāhetyapadiśyate || 1017 ||
natu svalakṣaṇātmānaṃ spṛśatyeṣā vibhedinam |
tanmātrāṃśātirekeṇa nāstyasyā abhidhākriyā || 1018 ||

The word is said to ‘denote’, because it produces a reflection of the conception of the external thing; it does not touch the exclusive factor in the shape of the specific individuality; apart from the said production of the reflection, there is no other denotative function of the word.—(1017-1018)

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

The following Texts explain this same declaration of Diṅnāga’s:—[see verses 1017-1018 above]

What the revered Teacher means is as follows;—Of the word, there is no function of denoting external things, other than the producing of the Reflection of the Conception apprehending those things; because all entities are devoid of activity. Hence when the word produces the Reflection of the conception tending to the apprehension of the external thing, it is said that ‘it denotes its meaning’. It does not touch the exclusive factor, in the shape of Specific Individuality as excluded (distinguished) from like and unlike things; as this would serve no useful purpose.

‘Apart from, etc. etc.’;—i.e. apart from the producing of the said Reflection, there is no other denotative function of the word.—(1017-1018)