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(A) NYÁYA DOCTRINE OF THE SELF'.
149
-then any order of sequence among such cognitions would be incongruous; as the efficient Cause being present, all the effects should appear simul. taneously; specially as the eternal Cause cannot need the help of anything else ; for the simple reason that it cannot be helped by anything else.-(197)
Further, if what is meant to prove is merely the fact of the cognitions being 'preceded by a Cause', then the effort is futile :- this is what is shown in the following Text :
TEXT (198).
INASMUCH AS THE APPEARANCE OF Srx COGNITIONS OUT OF A SINGLE PREORDING COGNITION IS CLEARLY RECOGNISED SIMULTANEOUSLY,
-WHAT YOUR ARGUMENT PROVES IS ADMITTED BY US). (198)
COMMENTARY
I'on a single preceding Cognition,-out of a single Ougnition immediately preceding them, there is an appearance of Six Cognitions, through the Eye and other organs-Which appearance is clearly recognised. For instance, at the time that a man sees the complexion of the dancing girl, he also hears the Sound of the drum and other musical accompuniments, smells the odour of the Lotus and other fragrant things, lastes the Carplior and other things. feels also the wind emanating from the fans, and thinks oi taking up his clothes. It cannot be right to say that his vision appears to be such because it moves quickly, like the whirling fire-brand. For if it were so, then the appearances would be vague and dim. To explain ;it is on the basis of the
recalling of all these perceptions (through the several Sense-organs that you explain the feeling that the whole lot of the perceptions appears in a single Cognition; the Recalling too is done through Remembrance and Remeinbrance, appertaining, as it does, to the past, is always indistinct ;--while the single Cognition of Colour and the rest is found to be quite distinct.-Further, in the case of such expressions as saro-rasa, there is an appearance of the cognitions quickly apprehending the sa' and other letter-sounds ; so that in this case also there might be the notion of a single (lognition; and there would, therefore, be no idea of any order of sequence among them.-All this is going to be explained later on; in the present context the Text has merely indicated the lines of the refutation of the Opponent's doctrine).-(198)
If what you seek to prove is the fact of the Cognitions having a singlo Cause, by the fact of their having for their Canse a Single Eternal and Uniform Entity,-then your premiss is one that is annulled by Inference. - This is what is shown in the following Text :