________________
1300
TATTVASANGRAHA: CHAPTER XXV.
TEXTS (2882–2885)
** IN TRANSACTIONS RELATING TO DEBT AND OTHER HEADS, WHEN THERE
IS A DISPUTE BETWEEN TWO DISPUTANTS, THERE IS ONE STATEMENT BY THE DEFENDANT AND TWO BY THE PLAINTIFF ; AND IT IS FOR AVOIDING AN INFINITE REGRESS THAT NO FURTHER STATEMENTS ARE RECORDED AND IT IS ON THE BASIS OF THE SAID THREE STATEMENTS ALONE THAT THE MASTER (JUDGE), THE WITNESSES AND THE ASSESSORS SHOULD COME TO A DECISION-THUS IN ALL CASES, THERE IS A FOLLOWING UP OF THREE COGNITIONS ONLY; AND IT IS FOR THIS SAME BEASON THAT THE DEITIES ARE CALLED 'TRISATYA' (THREE-TRUTH) --THUS THEN, IF THE VALIDITY OF COGNITIONS IS INHERENT IN THEM, THERE IS NO INFINITE REGRESS; AND THE VALIDITY AND INVALIDITY REMAIN AS THEY HAPPEN TO BE IN REALITY."—(2882–2885)
COMMENTARY “Then again, if it be proved that the validity of Sense-perception and other Pramūnas is due to extraneous causes the same is not the case with Verbal Cognition, even 80 our position becomes established. Because the whole of this effort of ours is meant for the purpose of establishing the reliability of the Vedic Injunction; so that when it is proved that the validity of the Verbal Cognition is inherent, self-sufficient, the reliability of the Vedic Injunction becomes automatically established ;-what need there is then for our trying to prove the self-sufficient validity of the other forms of Cognition ?”
With the above idea in his mind, the Mimamsaka proceeds to prove the self-sufficient validity of Verbal Cognition :
TEXTS (2886-2888).
« THAT WORD WHICH IS DEFINITELY KNOWN TO BE ETERNAL, OR
UTTERED BY A TRUSTWORTHY PERSON, IS NEVER VITIATED BY THE HEARER OR THE SPEAKER BECAUSE TEACHERS AND FELLOWSTUDENTS HELP TO PREVENT MUTILATIONS THEREOF AND ARE FULLY COMPETENT TO PRESERVE SUCH ASSERTIONS.-CONSEQUENTLY, THE ASSERTION DOES NOT BECOME VITIATED BY THE DEFECTS WHICH ARE WARDED OFF BY THE EXCELLENCES (OF THE TEACHER, ETC.).OR, WHEN THERE IS NO PRONOUNCER OR 'MAKER' OF THE WORD OR ASSERTION, THERE CAN BE NO DEFECTS, AS THERE WOULD BE NO SUBSTRATUM FOR THESE."-(2886–2888)
COMMENTARY. Two kinds of Verbal Cognition are reliable; valid- that produced by the eternal Word, and that produced by the words uttered by a trustworthy
