Verse 3465-3466

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

आत्मोदाहरणेनान्यसामर्थ्याभावनिश्चये ।
पुरुषत्वादिहेतुभ्यः कार्ये चातिप्रसज्यते ॥ ३४६५ ॥
एवं हि भवतो जाड्ये निश्चिते सर्वसूरयः ।
त्वदुदाहरणेनैव भवेयुर्जडबुद्धयः ॥ ३४६६ ॥

ātmodāharaṇenānyasāmarthyābhāvaniścaye |
puruṣatvādihetubhyaḥ kārye cātiprasajyate || 3465 ||
evaṃ hi bhavato jāḍye niścite sarvasūrayaḥ |
tvadudāharaṇenaiva bhaveyurjaḍabuddhayaḥ || 3466 ||

If you deduce the incapacity of other persons, in recard to a certain effect, from your own example,—on the basis of such reasons as ‘being human’ and the like,—then you land yourself in absurdities.—In this way, your own stupidity having been ascertained,—from your own example, all learned men might be regarded as stupid.—(3465-3466)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

The following might be urged—“When we declare the incapacity of men to cognise supersensuous things, we do not do so on the basis of mere non-apprehension; in fact, we do it on the basis of inference from such reasons as ‘being human’ and so forth. For instance, all men are incapable of perceiving things remote, concealed, etc.,—because they are human, because they are entities, because they are cognisable,—like myself”.

The answer to this is as follows;—[see verses 3465-3466 above]

‘Niścaye’, ‘deduce’, is to be construed with ‘Kārye’, ‘in regard to a certain effect’.

The Reasons cited are all ‘Inconclusive’; as leading to absurdities,—Because in this same manner, it may asserted as follows;—‘All men are stupid, because they are human, etc. etc.,—like yourself’,—And yet there can be no such deduction. Because Dharma is not found in one man, it cannot be deduced that it cannot be found in any man; because men are found to be differently circumstanced.—(3465-3466)