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176
H Kramer
On Dharmakirti's 'rulerstanding of prema nakala
On "pramānabhūtāya". etc. Just as in this (praise You are (mount] Meru: You are the ocean: oh Lord, You are the wishing-tree (kalpapadape): You are the perfect healer: You are the light: You are the best boat (plara)! the meaning of the word "like") is understood, even without the employment of the word "like" (ira), it is also the case here in the compound praminahital. Thus, the Bhagavat is valid cognition inasmuch as he is like i.e. similar to a valid cognition. Just as a valid cognition, namely perception and so on, illuminates an unknown object (artha) that is useful for a human purpose (artha) and is reliable (with regard to that object), in the same way the Bhagavat, too, after he has gained a cognition of that to which the highest human purpose is bound. [i.e. the reality characterized by the four noble truths, illuminates that reality which is not known to those striving for the highest good (nifreyasa) and is reliable (with regard to that). Therefore she is said to be a pramda due to this similarity to valid cognitions the word iva being self understood). bhūta (means) "he has come into existence in the sense of "he has arisen". The mention of bhula werves to negate pramanas that have not come into existence (abhila), i.e.) that are eternal, such as God (isvara), inasmuch as they are assumed by others (i.e. non Buddhists) The compound) pramanabhüla is a karmadharaya mean ing) "he is a pramana, and he has come into existence"." (Having paid obeisance) to him who is valid cognition (pramanabhala) and has come
into existence According to this explanation of Jinendrabuddhi, the word pramana is applied to the Buddha not in an extended sense but metaphorically and
does not require any qualification in order to be understood as metaphor. Thus, at least if one follows his interpretation, there is no need to assume that the metaphorical meaning is conveyed by tadual, and it is also clear that his explanation does not support the interpretation of bhuta as "like" "6 Jinendrabuddhi's exposition provides us with a key that opens the door to a better understanding of the Tibetan translation of Devendrabud dhi's remarks. It not only enables us to look with another eye upon these materials, but, as the words pramanam iva are rendered by Ishad ma dan 'dra bas (PST.. D2a3; cf. above, n. 14), it also draws our attention to the fact that in other texts, too, the phrase tshad ma dan dra bas may represent a Sanskrit pramanam iva. If we now take the Tibetan Ishad ma dan 'dra bas na in Devendrabuddhi's PVP as equivalent to pramanam iva, his introductory remarks on PV 2.lab where pramana is defined, namely (PVP DIb2-3 = Q2a1-3):
Ishad mar gyur pa že bya ba ni ishad mar 'khruns pao || Ishad ma dan 'dra bas na tshad ma ste bcom Idan 'das (PV 2.7a) 80 | tshad mar no bo de ci žig yin na langis de dan 'dra bar dam bca' bar byed ce na
Ishad ma slu med can ses pa || (PV 2.lab) žes bya ba smos le can be translated as
[The compound) pramanabhäta sin PS LI means "the Bhagavat) is a pramana, and he has come into existence" (shad mar 'khruns pa
khyod moon khyod dpag bramkan thusleiman pa baan khyod aron ma khyod 11 khyod ni agrol byed dam pao || ses pa 'di 'dra bar sgrasbyar ba med par yar der don rroge pa deltar 'dir yan no se pas ishad ma dat 'drabas boom Idan 'daslahad ma' Il gangi phyir ji liar non sum la soge pa i Lahad ma ni skyes buy don la fe bar mkho besar ma rogs pai don gial bar byed in mi baba yin pa de llar bcom Idan das kyar gan la skyes bu'don gyi mchograg las pa 'phage pa i bden pa bái Y mtshan Rid kyi de kho na id la de yucan gyises pa bskyed the par legs padon du gier ba rams lakhon du ma ckud pa de goal bar byed pa dan mi balu ba de'i phyir tahad ma dan chos mishuis pa riid kyi phyir tahad mao Il gyur pa ni skyes pa ste byun ba ses pa i don to il gyur pa'i shig si ma byut berlag pa dban phyug la soge pali tshad ma gian gyis yons briage pa dgag pa i don duo || tahad mo yon di yin la gyur pa'an yin pos Ishad mar gyur pa ste Lahad mar gyur pa de la o ll.
That the analysis of the compound is to be understood as that of a karma dharaya and not as that of a duandos as suggested in Steinkellner 1989: 181, was expressed to me by Steinkellner himself in the meantime and is also stated in Franco 1997: 16. n. 3. Instances of karmadharaya compounds are collected in Hakamaya 2001
16 The last point is made clear by an interesting note of Vibhaticandra who, when rephrasing the last part of the above-mentioned passage of Jinendrabuddhi's PST. explicitly declares that bila does not have the meaning of iva. This is inter esting inasmuch as it is the only remark I am aware of that indicates a possible understanding of bhuta in pramanabhuta as meaning "like" (iva) and thus supports Seyfort Ruegg's supposition. The statement is meaningful only when it is understood as being directed against someone who holds the view that bhala means in C. Vibhu 519,2-4: bhata wpannah, bhitaracanam aprajatasyedarddeh paraparikal pitasya pratisedhartham. ivarthas tu aimarthyagala ili na tadartham elad ili rakyale "bhūta (means) has arisen. The mention of bhita serves to negate pramanas) such as God (isvara) that have not come into existence (aprajáta), inasmuch as they are imagined by others li.e. non-Buddhists). The meaning 'like' (na) is understood due to the adequacy (of just this meaning in the present context). Thus it will be explained that the mention of brita) does not have that meaning". - This remark of Vibhaticandra and a part of the Tibetan translation of PST quoted above (n. 14) have been referred to by Seyfort Ruegg (1994: 311, n. 39) in corroboration of his interpretation
