Verse 2279

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

नन्वानुपूर्व्यनित्यत्वादनित्यो वाचको भवेत् ।
पदं वाचकमिष्टं हि क्रमाधीना च तन्मतिः ॥ २२७९ ॥

nanvānupūrvyanityatvādanityo vācako bhavet |
padaṃ vācakamiṣṭaṃ hi kramādhīnā ca tanmatiḥ || 2279 ||

“[Says the opponent]—‘[Even though the letters may be eternal] the arrangement (order) of the letters cannot be eternal;—consequently what is expressive cannot be eternal. because what is regarded as expressive is the word; and the idea of the word is dependent upon the said order (of letters)’.”—[Ślokavārtika—eternality of words, 278].—(2279)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

In the following texts, the Mīmāṃsaka anticipates the objections of the Opponent—[see verse 2279 above]

The Word is held (by the Mīmāṃsaka) to consist of the definite arrangement of the Letters,—not of any such single entity as the ‘Sphoṭa’ [which, according to the Grammarian, is what, in the case of every Word, is really the entity representing the whole Word, which expresses the meaning];—and as the arrangement or order of the Letters is always dependent upon the whim of man (the Speaker), it cannot be eternal; and in this way the Letters also must be regarded as non-eternal; because the ‘arrangement’ is not anything different from the Letters.

How so?

‘Because what is regarded as expressive, etc. etc.’—It is the Word, consisting of the Letters, that is regarded to be expressive; because the idea of ‘Word’ is due to the particular arrangement of the Letters, not to any such other entity as the ‘Sphoṭa’;—and the arrangement is due to human agency.—(2279)

The same idea is further explained—[see verses 2280-2281 next]