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Aptamīmāṁsā
Negation (nisedha), in regard to some attribute, can only be of an existing entity (sat) and not of a nonentity (asat):
द्रव्याद्यन्तरभावेन निषेधः संज्ञिनः सतः । असभेदो न भावस्तु स्थानं विधिनिषेधयोः ॥४७॥
सामान्यार्थ - जो संज्ञी सत् (विद्यमान) होता है उसी का पर-द्रव्य आदि (पर-द्रव्य, पर-क्षेत्र, पर-काल, पर-भाव) की अपेक्षा से निषेध किया जाता है। जो सर्वथा असत् (अविद्यमान) है वह विधि और निषेध का विषय ही नहीं होता है।
Only a named (samjñī), existing entity (sat) can be subjected to negation (nisedha) with regard to attributes1 like the rootsubstance. A nonentity (asat - a non existing substance) cannot be subjected to either affirmation (vidhi) or negation (nişedha).
Ācārya Samantabhadra’s Svayambhūstotra:
सतः कथञ्चित्तदसत्त्वशक्तिः खे नास्ति पुष्पं तरुषु प्रसिद्धम् । सर्वस्वभावच्युतमप्रमाणं स्ववाग्विरुद्धं तव दृष्टितोऽन्यत् ॥
(5-3-23) The nature of reality (sat) involves two logical predications - one affirmative (asti) and the other negative (nāsti); likea flower exists in the tree and does not exist in the sky. If reality be accepted without any of these two predications (asti and năsti), nothing can exist logically and will lose validity. O Lord Sumatinātha, the assertions of all others
1. The attributes are (a) root-substance (dravya); (b) space of its
existence (ksetra); (c) time of its existence (kāla); and (d) its nature (bhāva).
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