The Tattvasangraha [with commentary]

by Ganganatha Jha | 1937 | 699,812 words | ISBN-10: 8120800583 | ISBN-13: 9788120800588

This page contains verse 2164-2165 of the 8th-century Tattvasangraha (English translation) by Shantarakshita, including the commentary (Panjika) by Kamalashila: dealing with Indian philosophy from a Buddhist and non-Buddhist perspective. The Tattvasangraha (Tattvasamgraha) consists of 3646 Sanskrit verses; this is verse 2164-2165.

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

सकृच्च संस्कृतं श्रोत्रं सर्वशब्दान्प्रबोधयेत् ।
घटायोन्मीलितं चक्षुः पटं नहि न बुद्ध्यते ॥ २१६४ ॥
एतदेव प्रसक्तव्यं विषयस्यापि संस्मृतौ ।
समानदेशवृत्तित्वात्संस्कारस्याविशेषतः ॥ २१६५ ॥

sakṛcca saṃskṛtaṃ śrotraṃ sarvaśabdānprabodhayet |
ghaṭāyonmīlitaṃ cakṣuḥ paṭaṃ nahi na buddhyate || 2164 ||
etadeva prasaktavyaṃ viṣayasyāpi saṃsmṛtau |
samānadeśavṛttitvātsaṃskārasyāviśeṣataḥ || 2165 ||

Further, the auditory organ, once embellished, should bring about the cognition of all sounds; when the eye is opened for seeing the jar, it does not fail to apprehend the cloth.—this same contingency may be urged also in connection with the remembrance of the thing (sound); as the embellishment appertains, without distinction, to the same space in ākāśa.—(2164-2165)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

Further, once embellished,—the Auditory Organ should lead to the Cognition of all Sounds,—make them apprehended; as the said Organ would apply in common to all Sounds; and also because the Sounds, being all-pervasive, would be occupying the same perceptible place.

It might be argued that—it is for the purpose of cognition that the Speaker has embellished the auditory organ of the Hearer; consequently the organ would bring about the cognition of that same Sound, not others

The answer to this is—‘When the eye is opened, etc. etc.’—‘It does not fail to apprehend’—i.e. it does apprehend; that is, on account of the perceptibility of the place being equal.

Question:—Why has the word ‘all’ been introduced?

Answer;—‘As the embellishment appertains, etc. etc.’—All Sounds, being all-pervading in character, occupy the same space in Ākāśa; hence their embellishment also should be without distinction.

In some places, the reading is ‘saṃskāro hyaviśeṣataḥ In that ease the particle ‘hi’ stands for ‘because’;—‘aviśeṣataḥ’ stands for ‘aviśeṣeṇa’; hence the meaning comes to be—Because the embellishment has been produced in Sounds without distinction,—on account of their occupying the same space,—therefore it should be possible for all Sounds to be apprehended (at the same time).—(2164-2165)

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