Verse 2515

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

व्यतिरेके तु तस्येति सम्बन्धो नोपपद्यते ।
श्रोत्रस्याकारकत्वं च शक्तेर्ज्ञानसमुद्भवात् ॥ २५१५ ॥

vyatireke tu tasyeti sambandho nopapadyate |
śrotrasyākārakatvaṃ ca śakterjñānasamudbhavāt || 2515 ||

If the potency is something different from the auditory organ, then there can be no relationship between the two.—Further, the auditory organ cannot be an active agent (in the bringing about of the cognition), as the cognition would be brought about by the potency.—(2515)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

The following Text points out the objection against the second alternative (suggested in the Commentary on 2513,—that the Potency imparted to the Auditory Organ is different from it):—[see verse 2515 above]

If the Potency be held to be something different from the thing (the Auditory Organ),—then there could be no such relationship as ‘this is the Potency of that’; because what does not derive any benefit from another thing cannot be dependent upon this latter. And as a matter of fact, the Auditory Organ does not benefit the Potency; because what has been held to render help to the Potency is only the manifesting agency in the shape of Articulation.—If the Auditory Organ be regarded as helping the Potency, then that Potency (of the Auditory Organ), which would help the Potency, would be something different from the Auditory Organ; and so on and on, there would be an Infinite Regress. And in this way, as the Potencies themselves would accomplish all that is necessary, the effect (in the shape of the Cognition) would follow from the Potency, and the Auditory Organ would not be an active agent in bringing it about; and this would render it liable to be regarded as a non-entity.

If (in order to escape from the Infinite Regress) it be held that the Potency that helps the Potency is not anything different (from the Auditory Organ),—then why should there be any hostility against the first Potency itself?

Then again, there would be the contingency of the Potency being produced constantly; as its Cause, in the shape of the Auditory Organ, is eternal; «nd what does not derive any benefit from anything else could not be dependent upon auxiliaries.—(2515)