Verse 3343

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

सम्बद्धानुगुणोपायं पुरुषार्थाभिधायकम् ।
दृष्टेऽप्यर्थे प्रमाणाभ्यामीषदप्यप्रबाधितम् ॥ ३३४३ ॥

sambaddhānuguṇopāyaṃ puruṣārthābhidhāyakam |
dṛṣṭe'pyarthe pramāṇābhyāmīṣadapyaprabādhitam || 3343 ||

[The words of Buddha are] well-knit,—they propound a compatible method,—and set forth what is useful for men; even in regard to perceptible things, they are not, in the least degree, annulled by the two means (and forms) of cognition.—(3343)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

It might be urged that—“The word of Buddha also is contrary to all forms of valid Cognition”.

The answer to this is as follows:—[see verse 3343 above]

‘Well-knit’,—the various sentences form one composite whole comprehending one and the same purpose; they are not disconnected, like such

stray sentences as ‘ten pomegranates’, ‘six cakes’ and so forth.

A ‘compatible’—i.e. practicable—‘method’—in the shape of meditating upon soul-less-ness—is taught in them; and they do not lay down such impracticable methods as the securing of the crest-jewel of the king of serpents.

‘They set forth what is useful for men’—in the shape of Prosperity and the Highest good; they do not set forth such useless things as the investigation of the subject of the teeth of crows.

Says the Opponent—“All this is applicable to the words of Kapila and other teachers also”.

Answer;—‘Even in regard to, etc., etc.’—‘Perceptible’—i.e. regarded as amenable to Perception and Inference;—‘not annulled by the two means of Cognition’—Perception and Inference; because the real state of things is exactly as spoken of in the words.

That is to say, what is regarded as amenable to Perception is the fivefold group of Thought-phases—in the shape of the conceptions of (a) the Blue and other objects, (b) Pleasure, Pain and other Feelings, (c) the causes of these, (d) the Apprehension, (e) Love and Hate, etc,,—and it cannot be otherwise than what is asserted by Buddha; just like the imperceptibility of things regarded as imperceptible; so also of what other parties have regarded as perceptible,—such as the various varieties of Colour, Sound and the rest, Pleasure, etc., and Substances, Actions, Universals and Conjunctions;—also such things as functioning through the potencies of things, and the rest are regarded as amenable to Inference,—all these are exactly as asserted (by the words of Buddha). Similarly too, the four ‘Noble Paths’, which are not regarded as amenable to Inference, are actually found to be not so amenable; just as the Soul and other things which are regarded by other parties as amenable to Inference functioning through the potency of things.

The particle ‘api’, also’, indicates that the words are not otherwise, even in regard to things that are not perceptible. For instance, what the words of Buddha have taught, for the removal of Love, etc., is the doctrine of ‘No-soul’ as contrary to and counteracting the doctrine of ‘Soul’ which is at the root of that Love and Hate, etc. and the things emanating therefrom;—and they have not taught—like the words of Kapila and others—such means as Bathing, performance of the Agnihotra and so forth, which are not incompatible with the root cause of Love, Hate, etc.—(3343)