________________ Verse 8 with origination (utpada), destruction (vyaya) and permanence (dhrauvya); it is one [from the point-of-view of general-existence (sattasamanya or mahasatta)]; and it is accompanied by its antithesis (pratipaksa). EXPLANATORY NOTE Any existing (sat) object (vastu) is neither absolutely permanent (nitya) nor absolutely momentary (ksanika). Being subject to recognition (pratyabhijnana), it has permanence from a particular point-of-view, not absolutely. The object also has momentariness since it exhibits change of state at different times. If the object be considered absolutely permanent, it cannot undergo transformation. If the object be considered absolutely momentary, its recognition will be meaningless. So far as the general characteristic (mahasatta, samanya satta) of a substance is concerned it neither originates nor gets destroyed since existence (being or sat) is its differentia. However, so far as the particular-existence (visesa svabhava, sattavisesa or avantarasatta) is concerned, the substance originates and gets destroyed. Thus, the existence (of a substance) is characterized by these three: origination (utpada), destruction (vyaya) and permanence (dhrauvya). Mere origination (utpada) does not exist because that is without stability and departure; mere destruction (uyaya) does not exist because that is without stability and origination; mere permanence (dhrauvya) does not exist because that is without destruction and origination. These three, mutually irrespective, are like the 'hair of a tortoise' or the 'sky-flower'. The object (vastu) is existing (sat) with regard to own-substance (svadravya), own-space (svaksetra), own-time (svakala), and ownnature (svabhava) but is non-existing (asat) with regard to othersubstance (paradravya), other-space (paraksetra), other-time (parakala), and other-nature (parabhava). The general-existence (mahasatta) that is found in all substances has its antithesis . . . . . . . 19
