0796 Verse 1095-1096

Original

विधिरूपश्च शब्दार्थो येन नाभ्युपगम्यते ।
तदाभं जायते चेतः शब्दादर्थावसायि हि ॥ १०९५ ॥
स्वार्थाभिधाने शब्दानामर्थादन्यनिवर्त्तनम् ।
तद्योगो व्यतिरेकोऽपि मम तत्पूर्वको ह्यसौ ॥ १०९६ ॥

vidhirūpaśca śabdārtho yena nābhyupagamyate |
tadābhaṃ jāyate cetaḥ śabdādarthāvasāyi hi || 1095 ||
svārthābhidhāne śabdānāmarthādanyanivarttanam |
tadyogo vyatireko’pi mama tatpūrvako hyasau || 1096 ||

For the man by whom the denotation of words is not admitted to be anything positive, the mind (cognition) reflecting the thing is what is brought about by the word, and this cognition ultimately brings about the idea of the thing. When words express their meanings, there is, by implication, the exclusion of other things; and through the presence of this there is negation also, as preceded by the apprehension of the positive thing.—

Kamalaśīla

It has been argued (under Text 966, by Kumārila) that—“one for whom there is nothing positive denoted by words,—for him there can be no negation either”.

The answer to this is as follows:—[see verses 1095-1096 above]

It is not that we absolutely do not admit the fact of words denoting positive things;—by virtue of which you have urged the undesirable contingency against us. As a matter of fact, it is admitted by us that the word produces the ‘mental condition’ (Cognition) which ultimately provides the idea of the Thing; so that in our opinion also what is denoted by the word is a positive entity which is illusory in character. In reality however, there is nothing that is denoted by words; hence it is only the real positive character of things that is denied by us;—so that the illusory positive character of theng denoted by words being accepted by us,—whenever there is anything positive denoted by the word,—the negation of other things becomes apprehended by implication; and hence it is quite possible to have this negation as preceded by the apprehension of the positive thing.—(1095-1096)