Verse 2366-2368

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

नहि तावत्स्थितोऽप्येष ज्ञानं वेदः करोति नः ।
यावन्न पुरुषैरेव दीपभूतैः प्रकाशितः ॥ २३६६ ॥
ततश्चापौरुषेयत्वं भूतार्थज्ञानकारणम् ।
न कल्प्यं ज्ञानमेतद्धि पुंव्याख्यानात्प्रवर्त्तते ॥ २३६७ ॥
सत्यप्येषा निरर्थाऽतो वेदस्यापौरुषेयता ।
यदिष्टं फलमस्या हि ज्ञानं तत्पुरुषाश्रितम् ॥ २३६८ ॥

nahi tāvatsthito'pyeṣa jñānaṃ vedaḥ karoti naḥ |
yāvanna puruṣaireva dīpabhūtaiḥ prakāśitaḥ || 2366 ||
tataścāpauruṣeyatvaṃ bhūtārthajñānakāraṇam |
na kalpyaṃ jñānametaddhi puṃvyākhyānātpravarttate || 2367 ||
satyapyeṣā nirarthā'to vedasyāpauruṣeyatā |
yadiṣṭaṃ phalamasyā hi jñānaṃ tatpuruṣāśritam || 2368 ||

The Veda, as it stands, provides no knowledge to us, until it is illuminated (explained) by persons who act as lamps. Consequently there is no reason for the assumption that what brings about the knowledge of things is something which is not the work of a person; because the knowledge in question does proceed from the explanations provided by persons. Thus the character of not being the work of a person, even though it may be present in the veda, is of no use; because the only result produced by the Veda—i.e. knowledge—is dependent upon persons.—(2366-2368)

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

The idea that the Veda is not the work of a Person is postulated for the purpose of showing that the knowledge provided by it must be right;—this assumption also is not independent of personalities in providing that knowledge,—hence the assumption is entirely futile. In fact, the Persons, as authors of the Veda, might very well be the reliable source of right knowledge,—what is the use of assuming this independence of Personalities, which, after all, is itself dependent on personalities?—(2365-2368)