Verse 2907-2908

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

प्रमाणानां प्रमाणत्वं येन चान्येन साध्यते ।
तस्याप्यन्येन साध्यत्वादनवस्था प्रसज्यते ॥ २९०७ ॥
अन्येनासाधिता चेत्स्यात्साधकस्य प्रमाणता ।
साध्यानामपि सा सिद्धा तद्वदेव भवेत्ततः ॥ २९०८ ॥

pramāṇānāṃ pramāṇatvaṃ yena cānyena sādhyate |
tasyāpyanyena sādhyatvādanavasthā prasajyate || 2907 ||
anyenāsādhitā cetsyātsādhakasya pramāṇatā |
sādhyānāmapi sā siddhā tadvadeva bhavettataḥ || 2908 ||

“If the validity of cognitions were proved by another cognition, then, of this latter also, the validity would be proved by another, and so on and on, there would be infinite regress.—If the validity of the cognition that proves the validity of another cognition be not proved by any other cognition,—then the same might be the case with those whose validity is held to be proved by others.”—(2907-2908)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

The following might be urged—We do hold that the validity of Sense-perception is proved by means of Inference.

The answer to this is as follows:—[see verses 2907-2908 above]

If, like the Sense-perception, the Inference also had its validity proved by another Inference,—then there would be Infinite Regress.

If the validity of the cognition called ‘Inference’ were not proved by another cognition,—then in the case of Sense-perception also,—whose validity is held to be proved by Inference,—the validity would be such as is not proved by another cognition; as there would be no difference between the two cases.—(2907-2908)

In the following Text, the Bauddha supports the view that the Reason put forward is ‘Inadmissible’:—[see verse 2909 next]