1779 Verse 2816

Original

सापेक्षं हि प्रमाणत्वं न व्यवस्थाप्यतव्यस्थाप्यते क्वचित् ।
अनवस्थितहेतुश्च कः साध्यं साधयिष्यति ॥ २८१६ ॥

sāpekṣaṃ hi pramāṇatvaṃ na vyavasthāpyatavyasthāpyate kvacit |
anavasthitahetuśca kaḥ sādhyaṃ sādhayiṣyati || 2816 ||

“That ‘validity’ is ‘dependent’ (not self-sufficient) can never be securely established;—and when his reason itself has not been established, who can prove that which is to be proved by that reason?”—(2816)

Kamalaśīla

‘Cannot he securely established’,—i.e. it would involve an Infinite Regress.

Question:—There might be an Infinite Regress; what is the harm?

Answer ‘When the Reason, etc. etc.’—i.e. that party whose Reason itself has not been established—duly ascertained.—What is meant is that it is only when the Indicator itself has become known that it indicates the object which is ‘pervaded by’—invariably concomitant with—itself; it does not do so by its mere presence.—So that, when the Party himself has no definite idea of the Reason, how can he adduce that Reason for convincing the other party?—(2816)