0788 Verse 1085

Original

अगोतो विनिवृत्तिश्च गौर्विलक्षण इष्यते ।
भाव एव ततो नायं गौरगोर्मे प्रसज्यते ॥ १०८५ ॥

agoto vinivṛttiśca gaurvilakṣaṇa iṣyate |
bhāva eva tato nāyaṃ gauragorme prasajyate || 1085 ||

The cow, which is ‘the negation of the non-cow’ is held to be a positive entity, and of a character different from that of the non-cow; but by this the non-cow does not become the cow, for me.—(1085)

Kamalaśīla

The Author now reverts to the order of sequence of the Opponent’s arguments, and takes up that put forward in Text 957, to the effect that—“If the Negation of the Negation is different in character from the Negation itself, then it becomes a positive entity”.

The answer to this is as follows:—[see verse 1085 above]

That it would become a positive entity does not indicate an undesirable contingency for us; as it is quite agreeable to us. Because the Cow is actually held by us to be a positive entity quite different in character from the ‘Noncow’ in the shape of the Horse and other animals,—it is not held to be of the nature of Negation. So that it would be a positive entity. And as the difference of the Cow from the Non-cow is what is admitted by us, there is no such contingency as that of the Non-cow becoming the Cow.—(1085)