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EXTERNAL WORLD.'
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external things apprehended should be treated as non-existent. And when the Earth, etc. cannot be apprehended', the fact of the Cognition being the . apprehender, assumed on the basis of the apprehension of those things, also, becomes proved to be inadmissible. Thus it becomes established that all this is mere Idea' (has a purely subjective existence).-(1998)
Having thus proved that Idea alone exists, on the ground of there being mo object', the Author now proceeds to prove the same, on the ground of the absence of the characters of the apprehended' and the apprehender':
TEXT (1999)
EITHER NOT ENVISAGING A FORM', OR 'ENVISAGING A FORM', OR ENVISAGING SOMETHING ELSE '; -THE COGNITION CANNOT
APPREHEND ANY EXTERNAL THING':-(1999)
COMMENTARY.
Neither as 'formless ', nor as with form', nor with the form of something other than the object ',can there be any apprehension of the external Object; and there is no other way possible. Hence Cognition is always selfcognisant, even when there is another 'Chain' which is external to it. Hence it becomes established that Idea or Cognition alone exists.
Some people have regarded the Cognition of one form as apprehending (envisaging) a Cognition in another form ; for example, the Cognition in the
yellow' form apprehends also the 'white' conch-shell. This has been thus asserted by Kumārila [Shlokavārtika-Niralambanavada, 108]—"In every case, there is an external back-ground, appearing under diverse conditions of Place and Time,-be it during this same life or in another life, or at some other time."
It is in view of this viow that the Text has introduced the third alternative. -(1999)
Question :-“Why should not the alternatives just set forth-not envisaging a form, etc.'-apply to the view that tho Cognition (or Idea) is self-cognised?" 'Answer :
TEXT (2000).
WHEN THE COGNITION IS PRODUCED, IT IS PRODUCED AS DIFFERENTIATED FROM ALL'UNCONSCIOUS' TORMS; AND IT IS THIS FACT OF ITS BEING NOT-UNCONSCIOUS' THAT CONSTITUTES ITS
SELF-COGNISABILITY':-(2000)
COMMENTARY. When Cognition is said to be self-cognisant', it is not meant that it is the apprehender or cogniser of itself; what is meant is that it shines--becomes
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