Dignagas Theory Of Direct Knowledge

Author(s): Massaki Hattori
Publisher: Massaki Hattori

Page 10

DIGNAGA'S THEORY OF DIRECT KNOWLEDGE noun), a thing qualified by (or associated with) a name (as an efficient cause of verbal expression, e. g., Pittha-tva) 23) is expressed in the word 'Dittha'. In the case of genus-words (jati-sabda, common noun), a thing qualified by a genus (e. g., go-tva (cow-ness) is expressed in the word 'go' (cow). In the case of quality-words (guna-sabda, adjective), a thing qualified by a quality (e. g., sukla-tva <white-ness)) is expressed in the word 'sukla' (white). In the case of action-words (kriya-sabda, verbal noun), a thing qualified by an action (e. g., pacaka-tva (cook-ness>) is expressed in the word 'pacaka' (a cook). In the case of substance-words (dravya-sabda), a thing qualified by a substance (e. g., dandi-tva (stick-holder-ness) or visani-tva (horned-ness>) is expressed in the word 'dandin' (a stick-holder) or 'visanin' (the ...22) horned). (The characteristic feature of the thought-construction thus consists in the verbal designation of a thing through the association of name, genus etc. with it). * Here, (with regard to the last two cases of the above-mentioned five,) some (are in the different opinion that the efficient cause of verbal expression is nothing but the relation between an action or a substance and its possessor, and) maintain that (a thing) qualified by this relation (is expressed in the words pacaka', dandin' and so on)24). On the other hand, some others hold that a thing qualified by the word which essentially can denote no real entity (artha-Sunya) is expressed (in all five cases mentioned above) 25). 23) cp. Balamanorama ad. Siddhantakaumdi, 1781=MBH, V, i, 119: (<tva) (tal-pratyaya yata utpatsyete, tasmat prakrti-bhuta.) sabdad vyakti-bodhe jayamane yaj jaty-adikan visesanataya bhasate (tad vyakti-vicesanam 'bhava'-sabdena vivaksitam ...) yatha go-sabdad dhi vyakti-bodhe jayamane go-tvam visesanatvena bhasate. Dittha-tva is a generalization of an innumerable number of in. dividual Dittha existing instantenously in each moment from his birth to his death, cp. TSP, ad. 1226. 24) PSVT, 18b, 5ff can be summarized as follows: 1) The bhava-pratyaya sufixed to samasa, kyt and taddhita implies the relation of action and that which is in case-relation with it (kriyakaraka-sambandha, e. g., pacakatvam...relation between kriya and karty, pacyaminatvam... relation between kriya and karma), the relation of possession and possesor (sva-svami-sambandha) etc. 2) The bhava-pratyaya suffixed to any word is the efficient cause of that word being applied to a certain thing, cp. MBH, V, i, 119. 3) pacaka=pac +nvul) (-aka) is krt, and dandin=danda+ (ini) (-in) is taddhita. 4) Therefore, the bhava-pratyaya <-tva) of 'pacakatva', 'danditva' etc. stands for the above-said relation and at the same time is deemed to be the efficient cause of verbal expression. (The present writer wishes to express thanks to Mr. Y. Ojihara, Asst. Prof. of Sanskrit, Kyoto Univ. for his rendering the writer much help for the understanding of this grammatical discussion.) 25) The Naiyayikas and other realists are in the opinion that genus, quality etc., which are considered to be the efficient cause of verbal designation in the above passages, are padarthas or real entities, but according to Dignaga, they are mere products of the thought-construction and denote no real existence, cp. above note 14); what is denoted by genus-word 'cow' is not the universal which is supposed to be the common possession of every individual cow but the