Verse 2096

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

अप्रामाण्यनिवृत्त्यर्था वेदस्यापौरुषेयता ।
येष्टा साऽपि त्ववस्तुत्वात्साधनीया न साधनैः ॥ २०९६ ॥

aprāmāṇyanivṛttyarthā vedasyāpauruṣeyatā |
yeṣṭā sā'pi tvavastutvātsādhanīyā na sādhanaiḥ || 2096 ||

“As a matter of fact, the idea of the Veda not being the work of an author is emphasised only for the purpose of showing that there can be no cause for unreliability; and as such an idea (being negative) is a nonentity, it cannot be proved by means of proofs.”—(2096)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

The following argument might be urged (against the Mīmāṃsaka):—If you prove the fact of the Veda not being the work of an Author, and then, on that basis, prove its authoritative (reliable) character,—then, lo! the authority of the Veda rests upon something other than itself; as the authority of the Veda cannot become recognised until the fact of its not being the work of an author is recognised.

The Mīmāṃsaka’s answer to this is as follows:—[see verse 2096 above]

What is meant by this is as follows:—We are not proving the Reliability (Authority) as a positive fact, which is not recognised; all that we are doing is to reject the unreliability (of the Yeda) which has been urged by our Opponent; and when this charge has been set aside, the original positive proposition remains fully recognised by itself.—As a matter of fact, even the idea of the Veda not being the work of an Author is not being sought to be proved by us; because, if it were proved, the implication would be that the reliability of the Yeda rests upon something else. The fact of the matter is that the said idea consists in the mere negation of the fact of the Veda being the work of an Author, and as such, it is a non-entity (which cannot be proved).—(2096)

Question:—If it is not proved (by you), how does it become proved by itself?

Answer (from the Mīmāṃsaka):—[see verses 2097-2099 next]