2116 Verse 3451

Original

वेदानां पौरुषेयत्वे सिद्धे सिद्धं न साधनम् ।
अज्ञातस्योपदेशोऽस्ति तथ्यो यादृच्छिको नरः(हि?) ॥ ३४५१ ॥

vedānāṃ pauruṣeyatve siddhe siddhaṃ na sādhanam |
ajñātasyopadeśo’sti tathyo yādṛcchiko naraḥ(hi?) || 3451 ||

It having been proved that the Veda is the work of a human being, our argument is not proving what is already proved (and hence futile). Mere random teaching of what is not known cannot be always true.—(3451)

Kamalaśīla

The following might be urged—“It is possible that the Teachers have taught Dharma, etc. after learning it from the Veda; hence your argument is futile”.

The answer to this is as follows:—[see verse 3451 above]

Under the chapter on the ‘Revealed Word’, it has been proved that the Veda is the work of a human being; hence our present argument is not ‘futile’.

It might be argued that—“Teachings can be imparted at random, without knowing the things taught; so that your Reason is ‘Inconclusive’.”

The answer to this is—‘Mere random teaching, etc. etc.’—It is not possible that anyone, without knowledge, should go on talking, and that too against all forms of Right Cognition.—(3451)