Verse 1644

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

अथ शब्दादिना तस्य जीवत्तानिश्चये सति ।
सद्मन्यभावेऽभावाच्च निश्चितेऽस्याः प्रमाणता ॥ १६४४ ॥

atha śabdādinā tasya jīvattāniścaye sati |
sadmanyabhāve'bhāvācca niścite'syāḥ pramāṇatā || 1644 ||

“The certainty regarding his being alive being obtained through the word or other means of cognition,—certainty regarding his absence in the house being obtained through negation,—due validity would belong to the presumption based upon the negation.”—(1644)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

The following might be urged—“Even though the man with ordinary powers of vision could not have any means of perceiving the fact of Caitra being alive, yet Inference and the other means of cognition would be always available for him”.—This is what is urged in the following—[see verse 1644 above]

‘Through the Word’—i.e. when a word uttered by him is heard, or when an ascetic engaged in austerities behind the wall says that ‘Caitra is alive’.

‘Through Negation’—as a Means of Cognition,—in the shape of the absence of Perception and the other Means of Cognition,—the certainty of Caitra’s absence in the house being obtained,—it becomes known that the absence in the house is of the living Ghaitra;—then due validity would belong to this Presumption as based upon Negation,—(1644)

The answer to all this is as follows:—[see verses 1645-1647 next]