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" THE REVEALED WORD."
1135
TEXT (2439).
WHEN THE INFERENCE IS FIRMLY BASED UPON THE NATURE OF THINGS -WHO WOULD BE THE STUPID PERSON WHO WOULD DISCARD IT ON THE STRENGTH OF MERE WORDS, OR BY THE
COGNITION BORN OF SUCH WORDS ?—(2439)
COMMENTARY.
Tasyah-of the Inference.
Words depend upon the whim of the Speaker, and as such they can have no fixed relationship to any real state of things; hence it cannot be regarded as a Means of Right Cognition in regard to the state of things.-Inference, on the other hand, always appears on the basis of the Probans which is inseparably related either by sameness or by causality; and as such it is inseparably connected with the thing ; that is why it is a Means of Right Cognition and is capable of discarding notions to the contrary.
Tadbhāvinya'-proceeding from words.-(2439)
If even when not inseparably related, the Word were a Means of Right Cognition, then there would be incongruities. This is what is shown in the following:
TEXT (2440).
WHEN A COGNITION PROCEEDS FROM THE WORDS OF A HUMAN-BEING, IN REGARD TO SOMETHING BEYOND THE SENSES,WHY DO YOU NOT REGARD IT TO BE AS RELIABLE AS THAT DERIVED
FROM SENSE-PERCEPTION -(2440)
COMMENTARY.
Why should not reliability belong to the words that Heaven does not result from the performance of the Agnihotra'? Because in both cases[in the case of these words and in that of the Vedio declaration that Heaven does result from the performance of the Agnihotra)--the character of not being denied is equally present.-(2440)
The same non-difference between the two cases is further explained :
