Tattvasangraha [with commentary]

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

This page contains verse 2527 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 2527.

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

मनोऽपि प्राप्यकारीति ये प्राहुः क्षणमात्रतः ।
विदुरतरदेशस्थं चेतस्तेषां न युज्यते ॥ २५२७ ॥

mano'pi prāpyakārīti ye prāhuḥ kṣaṇamātrataḥ |
vidurataradeśasthaṃ cetasteṣāṃ na yujyate || 2527 ||

For those people who declare that “the mind also is operative through contact”,—there should not be any cognition of far off things in a single moment.—(2527)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

In the following Text, the Author anticipates the objection that the Corroborative Instance—of the Mind—is one that is devoid of the Probandum,—and supplies the answer to it:—[see verse 2527 above]

Uddyotakara, Kumārila and others put forward the following arguments in support of the sense-organs being operative by direct contact:—“(a) The Eye and the Ear must be regarded as operative by contact,—because they are external organs,—like the Olfactory Organ. The qualification ‘External’ is added in order to avoid the charge of being ‘false’ in view of the Mind (which is not operative by contact).—(b) The Eye and the Ear must be regarded as operative by contact,—because being organs, they do not apprehend things hidden and far off,—like the Olfactory Organ. The qualification ‘being organs’ has been added for the purpose of excluding the object.—(c) Colour and Sound must be regarded as cognisable by means of those external organs that are operative by contact,—because they are objects of external organs,—like Odour and Taste.—(d) the Cognitions of Colour and Sound must be regarded as having for their objective basis such objects as are cognisable by means of external organs operative by contact,—like the Cognitions of Odour and Taste”.

The objections against these arguments are set forth in the following:—[see verse 2528 next]

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