Verse 2273

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

सर्वेषामनभिज्ञानां पूर्वपूर्वप्रसिद्धितः ।
सिद्धः सम्बन्ध इत्येवं सम्बन्धादिर्न विद्यते ॥ २२७३ ॥

sarveṣāmanabhijñānāṃ pūrvapūrvaprasiddhitaḥ |
siddhaḥ sambandha ityevaṃ sambandhādirna vidyate || 2273 ||

“As a matter of fact, for all persons ignorant (of the connection), the connection becomes known through long-continued tradition,—and there has been no beginning of the connection.”—(2273)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

[Under the view that the Connection of the Word with its meaning was created, set up at a certain time, by a certain person] it has to be explained, who the Person was who created the Connection and to whom he communicated it.—It cannot be right to say that the man learns it by himself; as the same might be said regarding others also.—If it was communicated to the present man by some one else,—then it should have been communicated to that man also by some one else,—then, in that case, there being no beginning, the Connection must be regarded as eternal.

This is shown by the Mīmāṃsaka in the following:—[see verse 2273 above]

The argument may be formulated as follows:—The Connection between the Word and its meaning must be regarded as preceded by the usage of elderly people,—because it is a Connection,—like Connections of the present time,—the Connection under dispute is also a Connection; hence this is a Reason based upon the nature of things.—(2273)