1715 Verse 2720

Original

तस्मात्प्रत्यक्षतः पूर्वं क्रमज्ञानेषु यत्पदम् ।
समस्तवर्णविज्ञानं तदर्थज्ञानकारणम् ॥ २७२० ॥

tasmātpratyakṣataḥ pūrvaṃ kramajñāneṣu yatpadam |
samastavarṇavijñānaṃ tadarthajñānakāraṇam || 2720 ||

From all this it follows that it is the word that is apprehended on the wake of the previous successive cognitions of all the component letters,—which is the cause of the comprehension of the meaning.—(2720)

Kamalaśīla

The following text sums up the position and proceeds to show that the comprehension of the meaning of words is possible even without the Sphoṭa:—[see verse 2720 above]

Says the Opponent—“The Letters in a Word stand in a definite order.—they are perceived also in a definite order; Remembrance is always in accordance with the previous perception;—how then can there be the single cognition envisaging all the Letters, which can only be of the nature of remembrance,—except through the Sphoṭa? Certainly when the thing has been cognised as without order, there can be no appearance of the Letters which are there in a definite order?”

In anticipation of this argument, the Author supplies the following answer:—[see verse 2721 next]