The Tattvasangraha [with commentary]

by Ganganatha Jha | 1937 | 699,812 words | ISBN-10: 8120800583 | ISBN-13: 9788120800588

This page contains verse 2525 of the 8th-century Tattvasangraha (English translation) by Shantarakshita, including the commentary (Panjika) by Kamalashila: dealing with Indian philosophy from a Buddhist and non-Buddhist perspective. The Tattvasangraha (Tattvasamgraha) consists of 3646 Sanskrit verses; this is verse 2525.

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

प्राप्तिग्रहणपक्षे तु कर्णाभ्यन्तरपक्षवत् ।
न विच्छिन्न इति ज्ञानं मेघशब्दादिके भवेत् ॥ २५२५ ॥

prāptigrahaṇapakṣe tu karṇābhyantarapakṣavat |
na vicchinna iti jñānaṃ meghaśabdādike bhavet || 2525 ||

Under the view that the perception (op sound) is through contact (with the sense-organ), the cognition of the sound of thunder could not be in the interrupted form,—like that of the feather in the ear.—(2525)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

Question;—“What proof then is there against the idea that the Word-Sound is apprehended only on contact with the Auditory Organ,—and in support of the idea that it is apprehended without such contact?”

Answer:—[see verse 2525 above]

Like the feather in the Ear’,—this is an instance per dissimilarity; and the ‘rati’-affix is added to the word ending in the Genitive ending. The meaning thus is—when a man is engaged in tickling the Ear with a feather, the Sound made by the feather is heard as continuous, without interruption; in the same manner, when there is Sound of Thunder spreading all round like the filaments of the Kadamba flower, and it is heard on reaching the Ear,—then this hearing also should be continuous, not interrupted.—It cannot be right to say that there is illusion of break on account of the peculiarity of the substratum wherein the conjunction of its Cause subsists. Because there is no perception of such place, etc.; and no Cognition ever appears which imposes forms which have never been cognised; e.g. the Visual Perception does not impose the form of Taste.—(2525)

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