1644 Verse 2571

Original

संस्कृतश्चैकदा शब्दस्तमात्मानं न जातुचित् ।
जहात्यनित्यतासङ्गादुपलभ्येत चेत्सदा ॥ २५७१ ॥

saṃskṛtaścaikadā śabdastamātmānaṃ na jātucit |
jahātyanityatāsaṅgādupalabhyeta cetsadā || 2571 ||

Having become embellished once, if the word-sound does not abandon that (embellished) form, on account of its evanescent character,—then it should continue to be heard for all time.—(2571)

Kamalaśīla

The following might be urged—“Just as for you, the Buddhist, the Word-Sound is produced as capable of bringing about a particular restricted cognition,—so also for us, there is restriction in regard to the Embellishment also; whereby the Sound is not heard by people at a distance The answer to this is as follows”.—[see verse 2571 above]:

Even if the idea be that—“The Word-Sound that is embellished is one that is capable of bringing about the cognition within the ‘chain’ of certain particular persons only”—there would be objections against it. For instance, if the Sound does not abandon the form which is capable of bringing about the cognition, then its cognition should continue to be produced for all time. If it abandons it, then it becomes evanescent, not eternal.—Hence it must be admitted that it is produced.—(2571)