Verse 1218

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

तस्याश्चाध्यवसायेन भ्रान्ता शब्दार्थयोः स्थितिः ।
अन्यायोगादसत्त्वेऽस्याः सेदृश्यपि च सम्भवेत् ॥ १२१८ ॥

tasyāścādhyavasāyena bhrāntā śabdārthayoḥ sthitiḥ |
anyāyogādasattve'syāḥ sedṛśyapi ca sambhavet || 1218 ||

The connection between words and things, due to conceptual content, is illusory; hence as it cannot be based upon anything else,—if there were no conceptual content, the said connection, even as it is, would not be possible.—(1218)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

The following Text shows that the existence of Conceptual Content is proved by Inference from its effect in the shape of Verbal Usage:—[see verse 1218 above]

Any real connection between Words and Things has been negatived by our predecessors, and it has also been proved that it is all illusory. Under the circumstances, if this Conceptual Content were not there, then the said connection,—even as it is—i.e. even in the illusory form,—would not be possible; as that connection is based upon the Conceptual Content; and as it has been proved that anything external,—in the form of Specific Individuality, Universal and the like,—cannot form the denotation of words.—(1218)