Verse 2756-2758

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

उत्तरावयवै रुद्धे मार्गे पूर्वे न यान्ति च ।
यथोत्तरे विमुञ्चन्ति पूर्वे यान्ति तथा तथा ॥ २७५६ ॥
संक्रान्तावपि नैतेषां तृणादौ वृत्तिसम्भवः ।
तदेतत्कल्पनामात्रं प्रमाणानभिधानतः ॥ २७५७ ॥
किञ्चाव्याहतशक्तीनां तृणतूलादिसङ्गतौ ।
दाहवृत्तिप्रसङ्गोऽयं पूर्ववन्न निवर्त्तते ॥ २७५८ ॥

uttarāvayavai ruddhe mārge pūrve na yānti ca |
yathottare vimuñcanti pūrve yānti tathā tathā || 2756 ||
saṃkrāntāvapi naiteṣāṃ tṛṇādau vṛttisambhavaḥ |
tadetatkalpanāmātraṃ pramāṇānabhidhānataḥ || 2757 ||
kiñcāvyāhataśaktīnāṃ tṛṇatūlādisaṅgatau |
dāhavṛttiprasaṅgo'yaṃ pūrvavanna nivarttate || 2758 ||

“The path being obstructed by those that have gone before, the others do not go forward at the same time; as the previous ones go on making room, so the later ones proceed forward.”—(2756)

“Even though they move about, they do not operate upon the grass and other things.”—(2757a)

All this is mere assumption; as no proof for it has been adduced.—(2757b)

Further, so long as the potency (of the flames) remains unaffected,—when they come into contact with grass, cotton and such things,—the possibility of these being burnt does not cease; as before.—(2758)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

[verse 2756]:

Question:—Why do not they all move along at one and the same time? Answer:—[see verse 2756 above]

Question:—If the said portions of the Flame are capable of moving about, why do not they burn the grass or cotton that lies near it?

Answer:—[see verse 2757a above]

[verse 2757a]:

What is meant is that it is only when the Flame is in the massed form that it becomes operative,—not when it is scattered about.—(2757a)

The answer to the above is as follows:—[see verse 2757b above]

[verse 2757b]:

Granting (for the sake of argument) what the other party has said, the Author points out defects in their argument:—[see verse 2758 above]

[verse 2758]:

‘So long as, etc.’—of the parts of the Flame.

‘As before’—as in the massed state;—there being no difference between the flame in the two states.—(2758)