Verse 2274-2277

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

प्रत्युच्चारणनिर्वृत्तिर्न युक्ता व्यवहारतः ।
सर्गादौ न क्रिया नास्ति तादृक्कालो हि नेष्यते ॥ २२७४ ॥
इष्यते हि जगत्सर्वं न कदाचिदनीदृशम् ।
न महाप्रलयोप्रलये नाम ज्ञायते पारमार्थिकः ॥ २२७५ ॥
रात्रिर्वा प्रलयो नाम लीनत्वात्सर्वकर्मणाम् ।
दिवसः सृष्टिसंज्ञश्च सर्वचेष्टाऽतिसर्जनात् ॥ २२७६ ॥
देशोत्सादकुलोत्सादरूपो वा प्रलयो भवेत् ।
प्रलये तु प्रमाणं नः सर्वोच्छेदात्मके नहि ॥ २२७७ ॥

pratyuccāraṇanirvṛttirna yuktā vyavahārataḥ |
sargādau na kriyā nāsti tādṛkkālo hi neṣyate || 2274 ||
iṣyate hi jagatsarvaṃ na kadācidanīdṛśam |
na mahāpralayopralaye nāma jñāyate pāramārthikaḥ || 2275 ||
rātrirvā pralayo nāma līnatvātsarvakarmaṇām |
divasaḥ sṛṣṭisaṃjñaśca sarvaceṣṭā'tisarjanāt || 2276 ||
deśotsādakulotsādarūpo vā pralayo bhavet |
pralaye tu pramāṇaṃ naḥ sarvocchedātmake nahi || 2277 ||

“Convention in regard to each utterance cannot be made by usage.—At the time of the beginning of the creation, there could not be any such action; and no such time is admitted by us.”—[Ślokavārtika-sambandhākṣepaparihāra, 42].—The view held by us is that the world was never otherwise than what it is now.—As for the ‘universal dissolution’, it cannot be known that there can be any such in reality. In fact ‘dissolution’ may be a name for the night only, when there is cessation of all activity; the lay in that case would be ‘creation because all sorts of activity proceed at that time. Or ‘dissolution’ may be there in the form of the destruction of particular countries or destruction of particular families.—There is no evidence for any such dissolution as consists in the destruction of all things.”—(2274-2277)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

Having thus established the conclusion that it is not possible for the Convention to be set up with regard to each mortal being (the first alternative suggested in Text 2254),—the Mīmāṃsaka proceeds to reject the other alternative (suggested there) that it is set up in reference to each utterance.—[see verses 2274-2277 above]

‘By usage’—i.e. through the setting up of usage; what is meant is that, otherwise, there could be no setting up of the usage prior to the setting up of the Connection.

It has been asserted that the Connection could have been set up either at the beginning of Creation or it might be set up in the present. This is rebutted by the words—‘At the time, etc. etc.’—‘Such time’—i.e. the time of the dissolution of the world, when there would be no connection between words and meanings.

‘Otherwise than what it is’;—i.e. in the state of the utter annihilation of all things;—as there is no evidence for this.

Question:—How then do people speak of the ‘Dissolution’?

Answer:—‘As for Universal Dissolution, etc. etc.’;—‘cannot be known’—by people:—‘in reality’ what is meant is that an assumed destruction of all things may not be denied.

These assumptions are exemplified—‘Dissolution may be the name for Night only’.

Question:—Why is not the real ‘Dissolution’ admitted?

Answer;—‘There is no evidence, etc. etc.’—(2274-2277)