0231 Verse 287

Original

तत्रापि रूपशब्दादिचेतसां वेद्यते कथम् ।
सुव्यक्तं भेदवद्रूपमेका चेच्चेतनेष्यते ॥ २८७ ॥

tatrāpi rūpaśabdādicetasāṃ vedyate katham |
suvyaktaṃ bhedavadrūpamekā ceccetaneṣyate || 287 ||

As regards this doctrine, if ‘sentience’ is held to be one only, then how is it that, in the cognitions of colour, sound and other objects, what is clearly perceived is a form beset with diversity?—(287).

Kamalaśīla

With the following Text proceeds the refutation of the said doctrine (of the Sāṃkhyas):—[see verse 287 above]

To explain—When the Sāṃkhya says that “Sentience is the Soul’s own form”, what becomes postulated is that sentience is eternal and of one form,—inasmuch as it is non-different from the Soul who is eternal and of one form,—This however is contrary to facts of perception; inasmuch as in the Cognitions of Colour, Sound and other things, what is clearly—distinctly—perceived, through their own Cognition itself—is a form beset with diversity,—i.e. a diverse character is perceived;—and this could not be possible if Sentience were only one.—(287)