Tattva Sangraha Vol 2

SR No.: 007609
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Kamlashila, Ganganatha Jha
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra
Publication Year: 1939
Total Pages: 887
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 84 MB

Page 266

"THE REVEALED WORD."
991
"As a matter of fact, it is the Injunction that is capable of providing knowledge of what is past, present or future,-also what is subtle or hidden or remote and such like ; this cannot be done by any Sense-organ.-(Shabarabhāsya 1. 1. 23) For these reasons the Injunction must be regarded as authoritative and reliable.
"The name 'Injunction is applied to words that urge to activity or to avoidance of activity, e.g. the words 'Desiring Heaven, she should perform the Agnistoma sacrifice' urge one to activity; and the words. One should not injure living beings' urge one to desist from activity.
"For you (Buddhists) the only means of establishing the authoritative and reliable character of the Injunction consists in mere Ideation with the * Three Principles':-such is the meaning of your definite pronouncement (Proposition).-And this view is not correct. Why - Because it is set aside by the Revealed Word that is, it is negatived by the Veda, which has spoken of Agnihotra and other things which are quite distinct from Cognition' (Idea); in fact, the Veda itself stands apart from Idea'.
"The mention of 'mere Ideation' is only by way of illustration. There are other propositions of the Buddhist which are set aside by the Veda, such as 'All things are momentary', 'There is no Soul', 'There has been an Omniscient Person', There should be freedom from attachment' and so forth. All these words express ideas that are contrary to what is said in the Veda.”—(2085)
It might be urged against the above Mimämsaka view that all this would be set aside by the Veda only if its authoritative character were estab. lished.-Hence the Mimāmsaka adds the following:
TEXT (2086).
"THE SAID Revealed Word IS AUTHORITATIVE FOR ALL, BECAUSE IT IS NOT THE WORK OF A HUMAN BEING ; BECAUSE IT IS ONLY WORDS EMANATING FROM HUMAN BEINGS THAT ARE
FOUND TO BE FALSE."-(2086)
COMMENTARY. True Knowledge is what is called 'Pramäna,' Right Cognition '; and being the source of right knowledge, the Veda also is called 'Pramāna', means of Right Knowledge', 'reliable, "authoritative'
"Why?'
Because it is not the work of a human being ;-.e. it has not proceeded from human source. What is meant by this is that the authoritative' or 're. liable character of the Veda is due to the fact that there is no possibility of the presence of Love, Hate and such defects which would render it wrong or unreliable.-The argument may be formulated as follows :That which is free from the contact of such defects as render the Word false and unreliable must be the source of right knowledge,-e.g. the Eye pot affected by any