Verse 3.2.4

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.2.4:

सुवर्णादि यथा भिन्नं स्वैराकारैरपायिभिः ।
रूचकाद्यभिधानानां शुद्धमेवैति वाच्यताम् ॥ ४ ॥

suvarṇādi yathā bhinnaṃ svairākārairapāyibhiḥ |
rūcakādyabhidhānānāṃ śuddhamevaiti vācyatām || 4 ||

4. (Or) it is like gold etc. which even though differentiated by different impermanent forms, remains in its pure form, the expressed meaning of words like rucaka and so on.

Commentary

As the crow is quite different from the house, it is natural that the house should not include it. The author, therefore, gives a better illustration.

[Read verse 4 above]

[Gold is one, but is differentiated by different forms such as ‘rucaka’ (the name of an ornament). These forms, however, come and go, but the gold persists. The different practical purposes are not served by the perishable forms. There fore, words like rucaka do not express these forms but go beyond them and designate the permanent reality, that is, gold. Similarly, words express the ultimate reality by going beyond the plurality which is not ultimate. The impermanent forms are not the real expressed meanings of words. As they are not real, they cannot fulfil practical purposes. That is why they are not the expressed meaning of words. There is no harm in taking the view that words primarily denote the ultimate reality as viśeṣya and the impermanent forms as viśeṣaṇa. All that is emphasised here is that the impermanent forms or the limiting factors are not the real meaning of words.]

The author now explains how, if every word ultimately points to the ultimate reality, confusion does not result in usage.