0872 Verse 1212

Original

व्यापकत्वं च तस्येदमिष्टमाध्यवसायिकम् ।
मिथ्यावभासिनो ह्येते प्रत्ययाः शब्दनिर्मिताः ॥ १२१२ ॥

vyāpakatvaṃ ca tasyedamiṣṭamādhyavasāyikam |
mithyāvabhāsino hyete pratyayāḥ śabdanirmitāḥ || 1212 ||

The concomitance of the convention has been accepted only on the basis of the notions of men; in fact, all cognitions brought about by words are ultimately false.—(1212)

Kamalaśīla

The idea that the Convention is concomitant with the two points of time,—that of its making and the consequent usage,—is admitted only on the basis of the apprehension of Reflection of the Thing apprehended by the Speaker and the Listener; it is not really true; the idea, in fact, is based upon the fact that at the time of usage both the Speaker and the Listener have the (false) notion that the thing seen now and that seen at the time of the making of the Convention are one and the same.

Question:—“Why is this not accepted as being so in reality?”

Answer:—‘In fact, all cognitions, etc, etc.’.—(1212)

End of Chapter XVI.