Verse 2632-2635

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

सकृदेव बहूनां तु सङ्केतकरणे सति ।
समयो नेष्यते भिन्नो नीलाद्येकक्षणो यथा ॥ २६३२ ॥
वक्तुरन्यो न सम्बन्धो बुद्धौ श्रोतुर्न चापरः ।
एकरूपा च सा यस्य(स्मात् ?) द्वयोरप्यनुवर्त्तनात् ॥ २६३३ ॥
श्रोतुः कर्तुं च सम्बन्धं वक्ता पूर्वं प्रपद्यते ।
पूर्वोपलब्धो यस्तेन तमेव हि करोत्यसौ ॥ २६३४ ॥
एकाकारा यतस्तस्य वृत्ता प्रत्यवमर्शधीः ।
तस्माद्भिन्नेऽपि शब्दादावेकत्वं सोऽध्यवस्यति ॥ २६३५ ॥

sakṛdeva bahūnāṃ tu saṅketakaraṇe sati |
samayo neṣyate bhinno nīlādyekakṣaṇo yathā || 2632 ||
vakturanyo na sambandho buddhau śroturna cāparaḥ |
ekarūpā ca sā yasya(smāt ?) dvayorapyanuvarttanāt || 2633 ||
śrotuḥ kartuṃ ca sambandhaṃ vaktā pūrvaṃ prapadyate |
pūrvopalabdho yastena tameva hi karotyasau || 2634 ||
ekākārā yatastasya vṛttā pratyavamarśadhīḥ |
tasmādbhinne'pi śabdādāvekatvaṃ so'dhyavasyati || 2635 ||

As the understanding is come to by many persons at one and the same time, the convention is not held to be different (with each individual); just as in the case of the one blue-point. It is not that one connection or relationship is present in the mind of the speaker, and an entirely different one in that of the hearer; because it is of one and the same form and is present, as such, in the minds of both. When the speaker proceeds to lay down a connection for the benefit of the hearer, he lays down only that connection which has been known to himself from before. Thus, inasmuch as its recognition always appears in the same form,—even when the word, etc. are different, he comes to cognise the oneness (of the connection).—(2632-2635)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

It has been argued by the Mīmāṃsaka, under Text 2256, that—“As there would be difference between the ideas of the Speaker and the Hearer, the use of the Word would become vitiated, etc. etc.”

The answer to this is as follows:—[see verse 2632-2635 above]:

Just as the Blue-point, even when seen by several people, does not become diverse,—similarly, even when the Convention regarding the connection is made by several people, the connected (Word) will not become diverse; what to say of the case where only two persons are concerned? That is to say, all the persons have the same notion regarding it. Consequently, the connection for the Hearer would not be different from that of the Speaker.—(2632-2635)