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Verse 56
absolutely momentary, its cognition, remaining static always, will be meaningless.
Ācārya Umāsvāmi asserts in Tattvārthasūtral:
तद्भावाव्ययं नित्यं ॥५-३१॥
Permanence is indestructibility of the essential nature (quality) of the substance
The assertion based on remembrance (smrti), “This is only that,” is recognition (pratyabhijñāna). (This is the same thing I saw yesterday.) That does not occur accidentally. That which is the cause of such a statement is its intrinsic nature (tadbhāva). Tadbhāva is its existence, condition or mode. A thing is seen having the same nature with which it was seen formerly. So it is recognized in the form, “This is the same as that”. If it be considered that the old thing has completely disappeared and that an entirely new thing has come into existence then there can be no remembrance. And worldly relations based on it would be disturbed. Therefore, the indestructibility of the essential nature of a substance is determined as permanence. But it should be taken from one point of view. If it be permanent from all points of view, then there can be no change at all. And, in that case, transmigration as well as the way to salvation would become meaningless.
1. See Jain, S.A. (1960), "Reality : English Translation of Shri
Pūjyapāda's Sarvārthasiddhi”, p. 156-157.
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