1818 Verse 2889-2890

Original

तत्राप्तोक्तेर्द्वयं दृष्टं दोषाभावगुणात्मकम् ।
गुणेभ्यश्च प्रमाणत्वं यथा नास्ति तथोदितम् ॥ २८८९ ॥
गुणवत्त्वादतो वक्तुर्न दोषास्तन्निराकृताः ।
स्वतो वाक्यं प्रमाणं च दोषाभावोपलक्षितम् ॥ २८९० ॥

tatrāptokterdvayaṃ dṛṣṭaṃ doṣābhāvaguṇātmakam |
guṇebhyaśca pramāṇatvaṃ yathā nāsti tathoditam || 2889 ||
guṇavattvādato vakturna doṣāstannirākṛtāḥ |
svato vākyaṃ pramāṇaṃ ca doṣābhāvopalakṣitam || 2890 ||

“In the case of the words of the trustworthy person, two facts have been perceived: (1) that there are no defects, and (2) that there are excellences;—that validity is not due to the excellences has already been explained before;—and on account of these excellences in the speaker, there can be no defects in him, these being discarded by the excellences. tThus the validity belongs to the word itself,—and is indicated by the absence of the defects.”—(2889-2890)

Kamalaśīla

Says the Opponent—In the case of the words of the trustworthy person, if their validity be held to be due to the fact of all defects being discarded by the excellent qualities of the Person,—then the validity would be due to those excellent qualities (not to the Cognition itself); so that the Infinite Regress would continue to vitiate this view.

The answer to this is as follows:—[see verses 2889-2890 above]

‘Doṣābhāva, etc.’—The compound is to be expounded as—the ‘dvaya’ ‘two’—which has for its ‘ātmā’, nature,—consisting in the absence of defects and the presence of excellences.

‘Explained before’—under Text 2856.

‘Discarded by them’—i.e. by the excellences.

‘Indicated by the absence of defects’;—what is meant is that the function of the excellences free from defects consists only in the setting aside of the Defects, and not in creating validity.—(2889-2890)