Verse 1057

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

अविविक्षतभेदं च तदेव परिकीर्त्तितम् ।
सामान्यलक्षणत्वेन नानिष्टेरपरं पुनः ॥ १०५७ ॥

avivikṣatabhedaṃ ca tadeva parikīrttitam |
sāmānyalakṣaṇatvena nāniṣṭeraparaṃ punaḥ || 1057 ||

The specific individuality itself, when its distinction is not meant to be emphasised, has been described as constituting the ‘universal’ (or commonalty);—nothing else; as nothing else is acceptable.—(1057).

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

Question:—“If there is concomitance with the Specific Individuality only, then how is there Inference in regard to things partaking of the nature of the ‘Universal?”

Answer:—[see verse 1057 above]

That same Specific Individuality,—when its distinctive features are not meant to be emphasised,—constitutes the ‘Commonalty’; as has been already explained.

The term ‘Sāmanyalakṣaṇa’ means that which is indicated by the common character,—not taking into account the distinctive characters.

‘Nothing else’,—in the shape of the ‘Universal’ as postulated by the other philosophers. As such ‘Universal’ cannot be acceptable to the Buddhist.

This has been thus declared:—‘As it is apprehended through its own form as well as through another, its object has been held to be two-fold’;—and again—‘Inasmuch as it is based upon the Thing—by—itself as differentiated from things not of that form, the Indicative of the absence of diversity has been declared to appertain to the Commonalty’.

For this reason, the concomitance also, of the Inferential Indicative and the Word, is declared to pertain to the Specific Individuality itself.

Thus we conclude that there is no Inferential Indicative in support of the conclusion contrary to ours,—not merely from the fact that no such Indicative is actually perceived,—but because there is non-apprehension of a particular kind.—(1057)