Verse 3053-3054

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

प्रामाण्ये परतः प्राप्ते तत्प्रामाण्यविनिश्चयः ।
कथं वा गम्यते तस्याः प्रतीतेः सा प्रमात्मता ॥ ३०५३ ॥
बाधकप्रत्ययाभावादिति चेत्सोऽपि किं प्रमा ।
न वेति दोषः सर्वोऽपि पुनरत्रानुवर्त्तते ॥ ३०५४ ॥

prāmāṇye parataḥ prāpte tatprāmāṇyaviniścayaḥ |
kathaṃ vā gamyate tasyāḥ pratīteḥ sā pramātmatā || 3053 ||
bādhakapratyayābhāvāditi cetso'pi kiṃ pramā |
na veti doṣaḥ sarvo'pi punaratrānuvarttate || 3054 ||

[If the said cognition is valid, then] its certainty regarding its validity could be possible only if validity were extraneous.—How again is it ascertained that the said cognition (of the three factors) is valid?—If it be said that—“it is deduced from the absence of cognitions to the contrary”,—then the question arises—is this deduction itself valid or not?—Thus all the objections urged above come back in full force.—(3053-3054)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

If the second alternative (put forth under 3052) is what is accepted,—then the validity of the Main Cognition turns out to be extraneous; and there is Infinite Regress also.

In order to indicate this Infinite Regress, the Author puts the question—

‘How again, etc. etc.’

‘So’pi’—i.e. the absence of the Cognition to the contrary.—(3053-3054)

Question:—“How does the same objection become applicable here also?”

Answer:—[see verses 3055-3056 next]