Mimansa Chapter Of Bhavyas Madhyamaka Hrdaya Karika

Author(s): Shinjo Kawasaki
Publisher: Shinjo Kawasaki

Page 13

The Mimämsä Chapter of Bhavya's Madhyamaka-hrdaya-kärikā
Verse No. 12: What is here is in others and what is not here cannot be found in any other, either. The group of four, beginning with the Dharma, could not be found in any other."
Verse No. 13: Logicians, who put primary importance on inference, explain their standpoint, by setting aside the Three-folded Way through logical reasoning.)
Verse No. 14: Falling is not unlikely in the case of those who put primary importance on reasoning, as in the case of blind men who walk along a precipice by groping the way with their feet."
eye." (TJ. D277a1-3)
We cannot trace the source of the verse quoted here in TJ. However, a severe criticism on the logicians (tarkika) who put primary importance on inference (anumāna-pradhāna) or logical reasoning (hetuvāda) and who think little of the tradition (agama) can be found in VākyaP. I, 32; 34; 35; 38; 41; 42. E.g. "Whatever is inferred with great effort by clever reasoners is explained otherwise by cleverer ones."
yatnenanumito 'py arthaḥ kušalair anumatybhiḥ|
abhiyuktataraįr anyair anyathaivôpapadyatel (VākyaP. I, 34); Iyer tr. p. 45. "One who has recourse to Tradition which shines uninterruptedly like the I-consciousness cannot be diverted therefrom by mere reasoning."
caitanyam iva yaś câyam avicchedena vartate
āgamas tam upāsīno hetuvādair na bādhyatel (VakyaP. I, 41); Iyer tr. p. 50. 7) "Just as blind men who with the touch of their feet grope the way out of a precipice, logicians (hetu-vādin) who rely on inferencial reasoning only are difficult to defend themselves from falling down. For this reason we do not accept the logicians as the authority of knowledge." (TJ. D277a3-4).
This verse, with a slightest change, can be found in VākyaP. I, 42, where the logicians are severely criticized. See Note (5) for Verse No. 13.
hasta-sparśād ivândhena visame pathi dhāvatā|
anumāna-pradhänena vinipāto na durlabhah| VäkyaP. I, 42. This verse in the form "pāda-sparśad..." can be found in Bhavya's Prajñā-pradipa (tsha, P153bl). See Y. Ejima: "Idea of Āgama by Bhāvaviveka" (in Japanese), IBK Vol. XVII, No. 2, (March 1969), P. 893.
— 13 —