Syadvada Manjari

Author(s): Mallishenacharya, F W Thomas
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas

Page 73

72
F. W. Thomas, Mallisena's Syadvadamañjarī
"Ordered without contravention of time, running is good in fever, etc., Except for fevers due to wind, exhaustion, anger, grief, love" 52).
And similarly, the original avoidance of the customary diet, and at another stage of the same (disease) the consuming of the same are, of course, in both cases with a view to relief from that same disease. Thus it is established that general rule and exception have the same range (viṣaya).
But Your Worships' general rule has one field, and the exception another field. For the general rule, let him not kill any creature', is for the object of preventing a bad destiny; but the exception, that is the ordinance of Vedic 'hurt', is for the object of creating satisfaction in gods, guests and ancestors. And so, as these are mutually irrespective, how is the general rule vetoed by the exception? Because of the principle, "Conflict is between two things of like force" 53). For, if even in the case of a distinct field there is a vetoing thereby, that carries too far. Nor should it be said that 'The ordinance of Vedic hurt also has, as being a cause of heavenly existence, actually the object of preventing a bad destiny'; for by the previously stated argument the being the cause of heaven is wiped out; since even without that there is attainment thereof by other procedures (prakāra) also. For the adoption of an exception-alternative is in the absence of any other course.
Nor do only we refuse to admit that the ordinance of sacrifice is with the object of a good destiny; but Your Worships' authorities also. As said the great Rși Vyasa -
"By worship an extensive sovereignty, by maintaining the fires successes;
Asceticism is for the sake of purification from sins, but cognition and meditation give Mukti").
Here the teacher, mentioning the ritual of sacrifice, etc., denoted by the expression 'maintaining the fires', as cause only of successes attainable also by other means, has actually in effect repudiated its being cause of a good destiny. And likewise the same authority has, in the verses: "In the water of brahma-carya, etc." 55), set up the spiritual (bhāva-) Agnihotra. (91)
The position being thus, he condemns the procedures of these disputants by a simile: 'School-fellow 56) of etc. Of the opponents, of the persons averse to the texts composed by Your Worship; the wild flight, the (hasty) Procedure; school-fellow of a desire to obtain sovereignty through the killing of one's own sons; like a desire to attain a kingdom through the killing of one's own sons. As suppose some undiscerning person, through a cruel disposition, wishes by slaying his own offspring to obtain royal glory; and, even if he does obtain it, the mud of the blot of the sin of killing his own sons never leaves him. Similarly, even if by Vedaordained hurt one effects satisfaction in divinities, etc., the evil arising from hurt would certainly not be averted. And here by employing the expression 'desire to obtain' the author of the Laudation hints that, just as that evilly disposed person, whose good acts are uprooted by bringing about such an unparalleled evil deed, has in regard to that obtaining of sovereignty only the mere aspiration, and the effecting thereof; similarly those bad disputants, though they carry out the Veda-ordained hurt, have as regards the satisfying of gods, etc., simply an imaginary royalty, but not the respect of exalted persons and the satisfaction of Indra and other heaven-dwellers; since that is .efuted by the previously stated argument. This is the meaning of the verse.
2) Source of quotation untraced.
53) Source of quotation untraced. 54) Untraced (Maha-Bharata). 55) See supra, p. 67.
56) sa-brahmacari, 'co-student'.