Verse 2614-2616

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

मिथ्याऽवभासिनो ह्येते प्रत्ययाः शब्दनिर्मिताः ।
जातिस्वलक्षणादीनां वाच्यनाचकतास्थितेः ॥ २६१४ ॥
तद्भ्रान्त्या व्यवहर्त्तारो वैलक्षण्येऽपि वस्तुतः ।
गोशब्द एक एवेति मन्यन्ते समबुद्धयः ॥ २६१५ ॥
तस्माद्द्विजातिना प्रोक्तं बह्वसम्बद्धभाषिणा ।
शब्दभेदं पुरस्कृत्य यत्तत्सर्वमनास्पदम् ॥ २६१६ ॥

mithyā'vabhāsino hyete pratyayāḥ śabdanirmitāḥ |
jātisvalakṣaṇādīnāṃ vācyanācakatāsthiteḥ || 2614 ||
tadbhrāntyā vyavaharttāro vailakṣaṇye'pi vastutaḥ |
gośabda eka eveti manyante samabuddhayaḥ || 2615 ||
tasmāddvijātinā proktaṃ bahvasambaddhabhāṣiṇā |
śabdabhedaṃ puraskṛtya yattatsarvamanāspadam || 2616 ||

As a matter of fact, all cognitions produced by words are expressive of what is unreal; because of the fact that there can be no denotation of the ‘universal’ or of the ‘specific individuality’ and such things; but even though in reality, there is diversity, people, through illusion, come to treat and speak of the word—‘cow’ for instance,—as one only,—regarding all as the same.—This much of what has been said by the great brāhmaṇa (mīmāṃsaka) on the basis of the diversity of words is entirely baseless.—(2614-2616)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

The following texts explain the possibility of ‘Denotation’ on the basis of Illusion:—[see verses 2614-2616 above]:

That idea is called ‘Samvṛti’ (Illusqry) which, by its appearance, conceals—‘samvṛṇoti’—the real character of another—through not manifesting the real character of the thing; and it is purely ‘fanciful’; hence the form of things that is presented by such an idea is called ‘Samvṛta,’ ‘illusory,’ ‘fanciful’.

This is what is meant by ‘illusory existence’; it is not real; in reality, it does not exist; and all ‘illusory cognition’ is devoid of objective basis.—(2614-2616)