The Tattvasangraha [with commentary]

by Ganganatha Jha | 1937 | 699,812 words | ISBN-10: 8120800583 | ISBN-13: 9788120800588

This page contains verse 1344 of the 8th-century Tattvasangraha (English translation) by Shantarakshita, including the commentary (Panjika) by Kamalashila: dealing with Indian philosophy from a Buddhist and non-Buddhist perspective. The Tattvasangraha (Tattvasamgraha) consists of 3646 Sanskrit verses; this is verse 1344.

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

विषयाधिगतिश्चात्र प्रमाणफलमिष्यते ।
स्ववित्तिर्वा प्रमाणं तु सारूप्यं योग्यतापि वा ॥ १३४४ ॥

viṣayādhigatiścātra pramāṇaphalamiṣyate |
svavittirvā pramāṇaṃ tu sārūpyaṃ yogyatāpi vā || 1344 ||

The cognition of the object is held to be the ‘fruit’ of the means of cognition,—when the ‘means of cognition’ consists in the ‘sameness of form’ (between the cognition and the cognised);—or apprehension of itself is the fruit, and the means, in this case, consists in ‘capability’.—(1344)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

The Author next proceeds to set aside the diversity of opinion regarding the ‘Fruit’ (ultimate effect) of ‘Sense-perception’ as a means of Cognition:—[see verse 1344 above]

(a) When the external object is what is cognised,—then the cognition of that object is the Fruit, and Sameness of form the Means, of the Cognition; as even in the case of the self-cognition, the Cognition is of the same form as what is cognised.—(b) When what is cognised is of the nature of Cognition, then the ‘apprehension of itself’ is the fruit, and capability the Means, of the Cognition. The said capability belongs to the Cognition only which carries with it the cognisability of its own function; by virtue of which capability, it is Cognition alone—and not the Jar and such things,—that apprehends itself;—hence it is by the instrumentality of this capability that Cognition is found to be self-manifested; hence Capability is said to be the ‘Means’, the Instrument, of the Cognition of the Cognition itself. This has been thus declared—‘The Cognitions of Cognitions themselves, being neither the one nor the other, are capable of such self-apprehension; hence their capability is the Instrument (Means) and they themselves are the cognised, and their own apprehension is the fruit’,—(1344)

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