Marginalia To Dharmakirtis Pramanaviniscaya I II

Author(s): Christian Lindtner
Publisher: Christian Lindtner

Page 20

168
CH. LINDTNER
is the first hemistich of “71"(= 70). The second (= 70 cd) is to be found on p. 110, 1.25–26 (where STEINKELLNER takes it as 71 ab). The first hemistich of the next verse (71 ab) affords no problems and corresponds to STEINKELLNER'S “71 cd". Then follow two antaraslokas ("72" and "73" = 72 and 73) and finally the two missing pādas of 71 that we were looking for: the first two pādas of "74". This solves our problem and it only remains to be noted that the final verse ("75") should consequently be numbered as 74.
These observations have mainly been concerned with the identification and numbering of the 133 verses of PVin I and II. No doubt the prose still poses several – mostly minor - problems as far as text, translation and interpretation are concerned. I shall have to postpone remarks on these for another occassion. Considering the difficulty of Dharmakīrti's thought and style and the problems connected with the transmission of his works, this is only natural. Dharmakīrti is not easy reading and, as we know, prāyaḥ prākrtasaktir apratibalaprajño janaḥ. Experience from Classical philology, the elder sister, as it were, of Indian and Tibetan philology, shows that abstruse philosophical texts have to go through several editions before we get a text edited to the satisfaction of all - if ever. It would therefore be quite absurd if the above observations should leave the impression that the work done by VETTER and STEINKELLNER done so far is not first rate. At present no one could have done a better and more admirable job than they have.
Much work remains to be done and Dharmakīrti surely deserves it. Speaking of one of Proclus' writings COLERIDGE once remarked that "The most beautiful and orderly development of the philosophy which endeavours to explain all things by an analysis of consciousness, and builds up a world in the mind out of materials furnished by mind itself, is to be found in the Platonic Theology of Proclus”. Had he had the chance to know the works of Dharmakīrti he might well have met hesitations in deciding whom of these congenial almost contemporaries of widely different background to let carry off the palm.
Pāda-Index to PVin 146 akārakam api svayam 37d adarsanāj jagaty asminn akşadhir yady apekseta 5c anapekṣitasādharmyao atadātmani tādātmyao 52c anirdesasya vedakam
53 a
54c
150
46 The numbering of verses follows VETTER's edition from 1966. Subsequent identifications by STEINKELLNER (cf. n. 24) or myself are included and few emendations - all obvious - have tacitly been made. Note that 10, 11ab, 12, 17ab, 24, 30, 33(c)d and 59(c)d are still missing in Sanskrit.