Verse 2161-2162

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

आकाशश्रोत्रपक्षे च विभुत्वात्प्राप्तितुल्यता ।
दूरभावेऽपि शब्दानामिह ज्ञानं प्रसज्यते ॥ २१६१ ॥
श्रोत्रस्य चैवमेकत्वं सर्वप्राणभृतां भवेत् ।
तेनैकश्रुतिवेलायां शृणुयुः सर्व एव ते ॥ २१६२ ॥

ākāśaśrotrapakṣe ca vibhutvātprāptitulyatā |
dūrabhāve'pi śabdānāmiha jñānaṃ prasajyate || 2161 ||
śrotrasya caivamekatvaṃ sarvaprāṇabhṛtāṃ bhavet |
tenaikaśrutivelāyāṃ śṛṇuyuḥ sarva eva te || 2162 ||

Under the view that the auditory organ consists of ākāśa, as the organ would be all-pervading, it would be equally in contact with all things; so that even when the sound is produced ear off, it should be heard here.—In this way the auditory organ also would be one only for all living beings; hence at the time that one person hears a sound, all men should hear it.—(2161-2162)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

The Mīmāṃsaka’s Opponent now sets forth objections against the view that the embellishment pertains to the Sense-organ [the second alternative view suggested under Texts 2156-2157, regarding the variations of Sound being due to embellishments, in the shape of the conjunctions and disjunctions of Sound]—[see verses 2161-2162 above]

There are some people who hold that the Auditory Organ consists of Ākāśa; under this view, as Ākāśa is one and all-pervading, it would be in equal contact with all Sounds, and hence it should be possible to hear Sounds at a distance also.—The Auditory Organ also would be one and the same for all living beings; hence when one of them hears a sound, that sound should be heard by all of them; because the Auditory Organ is one and the same for all. It should be added also that if one man does not hear a Sound, no man should hear it.—(2161-2162)