The Tattvasangraha [with commentary]

by Ganganatha Jha | 1937 | 699,812 words | ISBN-10: 8120800583 | ISBN-13: 9788120800588

This page contains verse 3510 of the 8th-century Tattvasangraha (English translation) by Shantarakshita, including the commentary (Panjika) by Kamalashila: dealing with Indian philosophy from a Buddhist and non-Buddhist perspective. The Tattvasangraha (Tattvasamgraha) consists of 3646 Sanskrit verses; this is verse 3510.

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

आगमेन तु सर्वज्ञो नास्माभिः प्रतिपाद्यते ।
लैङ्गे सति हि पूर्वोक्ते को नामागमतो वदेत् ॥ ३५१० ॥

āgamena tu sarvajño nāsmābhiḥ pratipādyate |
laiṅge sati hi pūrvokte ko nāmāgamato vadet || 3510 ||

We are not affirming the existence of the omniscient person on the basis of scriptural declarations. When the inferential reason is available, who would make an assertion on the basis of verbal authority?—(3510)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

It has been argued under Text 3187, that—‘There is no scriptural declaration affirming an eternal Omniscient Person, etc. etc.”.

The answer to this is as follows:—[see verse 3510 above]

So long as Inference on the basis of the capacity of things is available, who would seek to establish the existence of things on the basis of mere verbal assertion which is entirely dependent upon the whim of man? It is for this reason that we are not proving the existence of the Omniscient Person on the basis of scriptural declarations;—in fact, we are doing it on the basis of Inference; and this has been already explained before.—(3510)

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