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OTHER FORMS AND MEANS OF KNOWLEDGE.
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exclusive and inclusive notions, and (2) because it is cognisable'; like the Cow, etc.' is the Corroborative Instance.
Of these, the 'inclusive Notion is the idea, in regard to all the four kinds of Negation, that it is Negation' the exclusivo notion is in the form of the differentiating idea as . Previous Negation is not Destruction'. -(1656)
Kumärila has described three kinds of Negation :-(1) the Nonmodification of the Soul' (2) 'the Cognition of some other particular object', -as declared under Text 1649 (which is a quotation from the Shlokavārtika-Negation, 11), and (3) "mere cassation (non-functioning) of all Means of Cognition', as described by him in this passage That Cognition is regarded (by the Buddhist) as Inference which is brought about by the three-featured Probans ; but that Means of Cognition which consists in not being brought about i.e. Negation) cannot stand in need of a Cause'(Shlokavārtika-Negation, 44).
In regard to this third kind of Negation, the following Text anticipates and answers an objection :
TEXT (1657).
"IF IT BE ASKED— How CAN NEGATION BE A Means (or Form) of Cognition ?-OUR ANSWER IS-WHAT SORT OF OBJBOT IS IT THAT IS cognised BY IT? JUST AS THE COGNISABLE OBJECT IS negative, so SHOULD THE MEANS (or Form) or COGNITION ALSO BE UNDERSTOOD TO BE."-[Shlokavārtika
NEGATION, 45).-(1657)
COMMENTARY
The following point may be raised-How can Negation, which consists in non-appearance of Perception, be a Means of Cognition ?
The answer to this is-What sort of Object is it that is cognised by it ? The rejoinder may be "What is cognised is negative in character."
In that case (our answer would be that), the Moans of Cognition also should be understood to be of the same nature as the Object cognised; why then should it be asked-how Negation can be a Means of Cognition ?Certainly it cannot be denied that the Means can be of the same nature as the Objec.(1657)
Question-Negation may be a Means of Cognition ; but why should it be different from Perception and the rest ?
Answer -