Verse 1945

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

नामाभ्यासबलादेव यदि तेषां प्रवर्त्तते ।
तत्किं न विस्फुटा वाचः स्मृतिर्वा वाग्मिनामिव ॥ १९४५ ॥

nāmābhyāsabalādeva yadi teṣāṃ pravarttate |
tatkiṃ na visphuṭā vācaḥ smṛtirvā vāgmināmiva || 1945 ||

“If the said conceptual cognition of the newborn infants proceed from the repeated cognition of names,—how is it that they do not have the memory or the clear speech of eloquent speakers?”—(1945)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

The following Text sets forth the opponent’s Reductio ad absurdum argument against the above view:—[see verse 1945 above]

“If the Conceptual Cognition proceeds from the repeated Cognition of the Convention during previous lives,—then the newborn child should have remembrance of the past Convention; because the continuity of a habit could not be possible without remembrance; also the child should have clear speech like eloquent speakers;—and in that case, there would be no need for the setting up of any Conventions during the present life,—And yet none of these things happens,—Hence it follows that, as there is no Remembrance, and there is no clear speech,—the idea that the Conceptual Cognition is preceded and produced by repeated Cognition is incompatible with facts”.

By means of this Reductio ad absurdum, which rejects the very nature of the Major Term, the Opponent shows that the final Conclusion (of the Buddhist) is defective.—(1945)