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SĀKYABUDDHI'S COMMENTARY ON PRAMĀNAVĀRTTIKA
13 AND ITS VRTTI*
By Ernst Steinkellner, Vienna
After introducing the three kinds of logical reasons (PVSV 2,14-19) Dharmakīrti presents the essentials of the third kind, non-perception (anu palabdhi), in PV I3 (=5 (PVSV 4,5-5,6]) for the first time. These brief formulaic statements are difficult and sometimes misunderstood'. Although Dharmakīrti treats the topic in greater detail later on” and in subsequent works, making the earliest commentary on this passage accessible may therefore be useful for a better assessment of its meaning. For here Dharmakīrti not only introduces his ideas on negative cognition, but also indicates many of its aspects that are elaborated only later.
It is unfortunate that the manuscript of the only commentary on this crucial first formulation of Dharmakīrti's theory extant in Sanskrit, namely that by Karnakagomin, should be lacking a folio (PVSVT 30,11ff.). Thus, the original Sanskrit of Sākyabuddhi'st commentary
* Dr. Ono Motoi read this paper and his good suggestions are gratefully acknowledged.
1 They are translated in S. MOOKERJEE - H. NAGASAKI, The Pramāņavārttikam of Dharmakīrti. An English Translation of the First Chapter with the Autocommentary and with Elaborate Comments [Karikās I-LI]. Patna 1964, p. 22f., and R.P. HAYES - B.S. GILLON, Introduction to Dharmakīrti's Theory of Inference as Presented in Pramānavārttikasvopajñavrtti 1-10. JIP 19 (1991) 1-73, p. 6f. and p. 59ff. - For their interpretation of. H. YAITA, Hõsho no hininshiki [“Dharmakīrti's anupalabdhi"), in: Makio Ryokai hakushi shõju kinen ronshū Chūgoku no shūkyōshiso to kagaku. Tokyo 1984, p. 35-45, and T.J.F. TILLEMANS, Dharmakirti and Tibetans on adrśyānupalabdhihetu, in: Proceedings of the VIth Conference of the International Association for Tibetan Studies, Fagernes 1982 (to be published).
2 Cf. PV I 198–212 = 200-214), PVSV 101,3-107,14 (translated in H. YAITA, On anu palabdhi. Annotated translation of Dharmakīrti's Pramānavārttikasvavrtti I. Taisho Daigaku Daigakuin Kenkyū Ronshū 9 [1985] 216199 & II. Chizan Gakuho 34 [1985] 1-14), and PV IV 260ff.
3 Cf. PVin II 11,12ff. and III 40ff., HB 21,18ff. and VN 4,20ff.
4. Following Prof. Frauwallner, I have hitherto used the form Sākyamati as the name of the author of the Pramāņavārttikatīkā and pupil of Devendrabuddhi. FRAUWALLNER originally used the name Sākyabuddhi (Festschrift für Moriz Winternitz. Leipzig 1933, p. 238ff. = Kleine Schriften. Wiesbaden 1982,
WZKS 38 (1994) 379-387
