0319 Verse 403

Original

तत्राप्यन्यव्यपेक्षायामनवस्था प्रसज्यते ।
एकदापि ततः कार्यं नासम्बन्धात्प्रकल्प्यते ॥ ४०३ ॥

tatrāpyanyavyapekṣāyāmanavasthā prasajyate |
ekadāpi tataḥ kāryaṃ nāsambandhātprakalpyate || 403 ||

If it be held that there is need for a further auxiliary,—then there would be an infinite regress. from this it follows that, on account of the absence of relation, the effect cannot be produced even once.—(403)

Kamalaśīla

If it be held that “for the producing of the said ‘conditions’ also there is need for other auxiliaries; so that the conditions appear successively and hence there can be no simultaneous appearance of the effects”,—this cannot be right; as in this way, there would be an Infinite Regress. For instance, for these auxiliaries also, there would have to be postulated further auxiliaries for the bringing about of other conditions; of that condition again, which would be different, there would be no relationship,—and if it were to be produced out of the same, then all effects would be produced simultaneously; and if a further auxiliary were needed for that,—the same difficulties would again present themselves.—Thus there being this infinite regress, no relationship between the Thing and the Condition could be established; and when this cannot be established, then the effect would be produced not from the Permanent Thing, but from the Condition itself.—(403)