1318 Verse 2008

Original

तदिदं विषमं यस्मात्ते तथोत्पत्तिहेतवः ।
सन्तस्तथाविधाः सिद्धा न ज्ञानं जनकं तथा ॥ २००८ ॥

tadidaṃ viṣamaṃ yasmātte tathotpattihetavaḥ |
santastathāvidhāḥ siddhā na jñānaṃ janakaṃ tathā || 2008 ||

There is no analogy (between the two cases); because the things cited are productive of the other object in that form, and hence are known as such; while cognition is not productive in the same way.—(2008)

Kamalaśīla

The following Text provides the answer to the above:—[see verse 2008 above]

The Sword is ‘productive’ of the Elephant, and is, on that account, known as the ‘Cutter’; what happens is that when the Elephant is struck by the Sword, there is produced an Elephant with sundered limbs; similarly when the Fuel is touched by Fire, it becomes produced as the Live-coal; in the same manner, the Jar and other external things also become capable of producing cognitions, through Light. But even so, the Cognition does not confer any benefit upon the Object; on the contrary it is the Object that produces the Cognition in a clear form. When, thus, the Cognition does not confer any benefit upon the Object,—how could it be its ‘Cogniser’?—The mere fact of the Cognition being the product of the Object cannot justify the idea that it is ‘Cognisant’ of that Object; as otherwise, the Cognition might be regarded as ‘Cognisant’ of the Eye and other means of Cognition also.—(2008)