Verse 1166

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

प्रमेयज्ञेयशब्दादौ कस्यापोह्यं न विद्यते ।
नह्यसौ केवलोऽकाण्डे प्रेक्षावद्भिः प्रयुज्यते ॥ ११६६ ॥

prameyajñeyaśabdādau kasyāpohyaṃ na vidyate |
nahyasau kevalo'kāṇḍe prekṣāvadbhiḥ prayujyate || 1166 ||

In the case of such words as ‘cognisable’ and ‘knowable’,—which is it in whose case there is nothing ‘excluded’? Certainly, such a word is never used by intelligent men, alone by itself and suddenly.—(1166)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

It has been argued (under Text 979, by Kumārila) that—“in the case of such words as cognisable, knowable and the like, there can be nothing that is ‘excluded’”.

The answer to this is as follows:—[see verse 1166 above]

Among the words ‘cognisable’ and the like, which is it in whose case it is said that there is nothing ‘excluded’?—If it is said in regard to the word ‘knowable’ alone by itself, apart from any sentence, and independently of all connection with other words,—then the argument is superfluous; because a word alone by itself is never used, and hence has no meaning at all.

This is what is shown in the text by the words—‘Certainly such a word, etc. etc.’;—‘alone’,—without any other words.—‘Suddenly’—without any context.

As a matter of fact, it is for the benefit of the listeners that words are uttered,—not because the speaker has the habit of using them;—and a single word could not confer any benefit on the listener, in the shape of removing his doubt or ignorance. For instance, if the word did bring about in the listener a cognition free from all doubt, after setting aside Ms doubts and misconceived notions,—then it would have conferred a benefit on him; no such benefit can be said to be conferred by any word used singly by itself.—(1166)

In fact, the use of the word has its use only in helping to remove the doubt and ignorance of the listener and bring about Ms well-ascertained cognition; and hence it can be usefully used only in a sentence;—this is what is shown in the following—[see verses 1167-1168 next]