Verse 1499

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

अग्निहोत्रादिवचनादकम्पज्ञानजन्मतः ।
तत्प्रमाणत्वमप्यस्य निराकर्तुं न पार्यते ॥ १४९९ ॥

agnihotrādivacanādakampajñānajanmataḥ |
tatpramāṇatvamapyasya nirākartuṃ na pāryate || 1499 ||

“Inasmuch as the words speaking of the agnihotra and other things bring about unshakeable cognitions,—the character of being eight cognition cannot be denied to them.”—(1499)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

Says the Opponent—‘Not having the Three-features, Verbal Cognition may not be Inference; but how can it be regarded as Valid or Right Cognition’?

The answer is as follows:—[see verse 1499 above]

The cognition is ‘unshakeable’ by reason of its being free from doubt and error; that is, it is Eight Cognition because there is no Right Cognition sublating it; just in the same way as Sense-perception is Right Cognition.

Says Śabarasvāmin (in his Bhāṣya on Sū. 1. 1. 5)—“The cognition derived from the statement ‘Desiring Heaven one should offer the Agnihotra’ is not a doubtful one,—it leaves us in no doubt as to whether Heaven is to be attained or not;—and when this is cognised with certainty, it cannot be wrong; it is only when the cognition, after having come about, becomes subîated by the subsequent idea that ‘it is not so’, that it can be called wrong cognition;—the cognition in question however is never, at any time or at any place, found to be otherwise;—hence it must be true. As regards the assertion of the common people,—if it comes from a trusted person, or if it pertains to what is actually perceived by the Senses, then it is certainly true; if, on the other hand, it emanates from an untrustworthy person, or it relates to something beyond the reach of the Senses,—then having its source in a human being, it cannot be regarded as right; because such a thing cannot be rightly known by human beings by themselves”.—(1499)