Verse 2799-2800

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

कालत्वपुरुषत्वादौ संदिग्धव्यतिरेकिता ।
पूर्ववत्करणाशक्तेर्नराणामप्रसाधनात् ॥ २७९९ ॥

kālatvapuruṣatvādau saṃdigdhavyatirekitā |
pūrvavatkaraṇāśakternarāṇāmaprasādhanāt || 2799 ||

As regards the probans—‘being time’ and ‘being person’,—the negative concomitance of these is doubtful; because, as shown before, it has not been proved that man is incapable of doing the work in question.—the idea of ‘manifestation’ also has been rejected. hence the speaker himself should be regarded as the ‘author’ (maker). thus then, in both the arguments, the instance is devoid of the pro-bandums.—(2799-2800)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

It has been argued by the Mīmāṃsaka, under Text 2344, that—“The Past and the Future times can have no connection with any author of the Veda, etc. etc.”.

The answer to that is as follows:—[see verses 2799-2800 above]

The fact that the incapacity of all men to compose the Veda has been proved,—that would have served as the reason annulling the contrary conclusion; but as that incapacity has not been proved, the contrary of the Premiss remains in doubt. Hence the Reason becomes ‘Inconclusive’.

‘As before’—in the case of the Reason ‘because it is spoken of as Vedic study’.

‘The Instance is devoid of the Probandum’,—i.e. the instance cited in the shape of the ‘Common man of the present day’.—(2799-2800)