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"THE REVEALED WORD."
1007
In the following Texts the Mimāmsaka proceeds to show that the Reason here adduced (that the relation between the Word and its Denota. tion is eternal) is not inadmissiblc :
TEXTS (2133-2135).
"IF THE RELATIONSHIP IN QUESTION WERE artificial (SET UP FOR THE
OCCASION), THEN, AS THE PARTICULAR USE WILL HAVE BECOME ACCOMPLISHED AND COME TO AN END, IT WOULD BE APPLICABLE TO THAT ONE PARTICULAR CASE ONLY, AND WOULD NOT BE UNIVERSAL IN ITS APPLICATION. IN THE Cow THERE IS A COMMINGLING OF SEVERAL FACTORS—SUCH AS THE EARTH', 'SUBSTANCE', 'BEING, "TAIL' AND SO FORTH, THERE COULD BE NO DEFINITE IDEA OF THE
Cow'EXCEPT THROUGH FREQUENT REPEATED USAGE.-FROM THIS IT FOLLOWS THAT THE WORD is not-artificial : AND IT NEVER PERISHES, BECAUSE IT HAS AN ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP WITH AN ETERNAL ENTITY-LIKE THE Ākāsha AND THE Atom."-[ShlokavārtikaETERNALITY OF WORDS, 359-361].-(2133-2135)
COMMENTARY
The sense requires the reading keyirimatve cha sambandhasya'.
If the Relationship were artificial, then,-inasmuch as the particular use will have been accomplished, come to an end the Word would have come to an end ; hence the relationship between the Word and its meaning would not be universal-i.e. applicable to all uses of the Word at all times.
Why ?-Because it would be applicable to that one particular case only ; i.e. it would apply to one particular Cow only. In support of this a Presumption is put forward-When several Cows are there before one, even though the Universal Cow' may be subsisting in a single individual Cow, what is understood is the universal Cow' as extracted from the word Cow'; and this would not be possible if the Word were not there.-Why it would not be possible is explained in the Words- There is a commingling of several factors, etc. etc.'-This Presumption is based upon the authority of Words.
For these reasons Word cannot be artificial'.-This sums up the Inference.
With an eternal entity i.e. the object named 'Universal', 'Community', Eternal relationship which lasts for all time; just like the relationship of Atoms with Akāsha, which is eternal-(2133-2135)