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EXAMINATION OF THE IMPORT OF WORDS.
575,
The word Lotus would be reless',-as the substance will have been already expressed by the word 'blue'. This is explained by the words • As what is related, etc. elo' the two factors are the Quality and the Universal.
The following might be urged (by the other party)—"Even though the word 'blue denotes the substance possessing that quality and belonging to that Universal, yet, inasmuch as the word 'blue' has been found to be applicable to several substances, the man who hears the word pronounced does not obtain any definite idea of the Lotus, specifically as the Cuckoo and other things are also 'blue', hence, the use of the word 'lotus becomes useful, in that it serves to dispel the suspicion that other substances might be meant
This is not right; as this assertion is made because the person making it does not know the subject under consideration. The subject under dis. cussion is that under the theory that words denote positive things, there can be no co-ordination, etc. If then, the word 'lotus' is used only for the dis. pelling of the said suspicion, and not for the denoting of a substance, then, in that case, a positive entity would not for the denotation of the word; as all that the word 'lotus' will have done would be the dispelling of the form wrongly imposed upon it. Then again, it is a self-contradictory statement that is made, when it is asserted that "the word 'blue denotes the substance Lotus" and yet " there is no certainty produced in the mind of the bearer. That cannot form the denotation of a word, in regard to which no certainty is produced. If it did, that would lead to absurdities. Nor again is there any room for suspicion in what has been cognised with certainty; as Certain Cognition and Uncertain Cognition' are mutually destructive.
It might be said that "Even though the words Blue and Lotus are not applicable to the same thing, yet what are denoted by them-viz. the Quality and the Universaldo subsist in the same substance,-and hence through their denotations, there would be co-ordination between them."
This cannot be right; as it would lead to absurd contingencies. In the manner stated, there would be co-ordination between the words Colour and Taste' also; as what are denoted by them—i.e. Colour and Tastesubsist in the same substance, Earth. Further (under the explanation offered) there would be no possibility of the expression 'blue lotus' bringing about the cognition of a single thing; as the two words would be separately denoting the Quality and the Universal subsisting in the single substance ; and unless the words bring about the cognition of the same thing, there can be no co-ordination between them.-Enough of this (1109-1110)
The following might be urged "The word 'lotus' does not denote exactly the same thing that is related to the quality Blue and the Universal
Blue'; it denotes something different. Hence the word lotus cannot be useless."
The answer to this is as follows:
