Tattva Sangraha Vol 2

Author(s): Kamlashila, Ganganatha Jha
Publisher: Oriental Research Institute Vadodra

Page 20

OTHER FORMS AND MEANS OF KNOWLEDGE.
745
TEXTS (1496-1497).
"IT DOES NOT EXIST AT THE PLACE (WHERE THE WORD IS); NOR AT THE
TIME. IF IT BE URGED THAT THE REQUIRED CONCOMITANCE WOULD BE THERE IN VIEW OF THE ETERNALITY AND THE ALL-PERVASIVE CHARACTER (OF THE WORD)", -THEN (THE ANSWER IS THAT] THAT WOULD BE SO WITH ALL WORDS; AND FOR THAT SAME REASON THE CONCOMITANCE BEING PERCEIVED IN ALL CASES, THERE WOULD BE NO IDEA OF THE negative concomitance AT ALL; AND IT WOULD THUS BE POSSIBLE FOR ALL WORDS TO PROVIDE THE COGNITION OF ALL THINGS."-(1496-1497)
COMMENTARY.
"The Thing (spoken of) does not exist at the place that is occupied by the Word; for instance, the word 'Dates' is heard in one place—the city of Pataliputra for instance, and yet the thing, the dates themselves-do not exist there. Nor again is the Thing necessarily present at the time that the word is present ; for instance, the word 'Dilipa' is present (uttered) now, while the person of that name lived long ago; and while the word 'Mahasammata' is present now, what it denotes is to come in future. Under the circumstances, how can there be concomitance between words and the things denoted by them ?
«The following might be urged Words are eternal and as such exist at all times ; so that things denoted by them cannot exist at a time other than that of the Word ; nor can they exist at a place other than that occupied by the words, as being all-pervading in character, words are present at all places. Thus, by reason of their eternality and all-pervasive character, there would be concomitance between the Words and the Things denoted by them'.
"If that be so, then, such eternality and all-pervasiveness belong to all words equally; and hence it should not be the case that particular words should denote particular things only; in fact, any single word should denote all things, as all things would be present at the place and at the time at which the Word is present.
The negative concomitance '-i.e. the absence of the Probans wherever there is absence of the Probandum.
There would be no idea -no apprehension ; for the same reason that words are eternal and all-pervading.(1496-1497)
Recapitulating the arguments, the Opponent formulates his case as follows: