Verse 2439

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

तस्या वस्तुनिबद्धायाः को बाधां मंस्यते जडः ।
शब्दमात्रेण तुच्छेन तद्भाविन्याऽथवा धिया ॥ २४३९ ॥

tasyā vastunibaddhāyāḥ ko bādhāṃ maṃsyate jaḍaḥ |
śabdamātreṇa tucchena tadbhāvinyā'thavā dhiyā || 2439 ||

When the inference is firmly based upon the nature of things—who would be the stupid person who would discard it on the strength of mere words,—or by the cognition born of such words?—(2439)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

Says the Opponent—“What is declared by the Veda—how can it be discarded by Inference? If the idea provided by a Means of Right Cognition were discarded,—then why should the Inference also not be discarded?”

The answer to this is as follows:—[see verse 2439 above]

‘Tasyāḥ’—of the Inference.

Words depend upon the whim of the Speaker, and as such they can have no fixed relationship to any real state of things; hence it cannot be regarded as a Means of Right Cognition in regard to the state of things.—Inference, on the other hand, always appears on the basis of the Probans which is inseparably related either by sameness or by causality; and as such it is inseparably connected with the thing;that is why it is a Means of Right Cognition and is capable of discarding notions to the contrary..

‘Tadbhāvinyā’—proceeding from words.—(2439)