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1540
TATTVASANGRAHA: CHAPTER XXVI.
for the purpose of speaking of that useful thing itself. Hence it cannot be right to say that "the Cognition of the Individual does not follow from the word directly".
If the word denoted the Universal only, and not the Individual, then a sane man would not be prompted to activity by the Word which denotes something not connected with that activity,--and such a word would be like the Injunction of milking the Bull!
If, in order to avoid this contingency, it is admitted that there is denotation of the thing in its individual aspect also,-then how would the Veda escape from the contingency of losing its eternality?
Further, it may be that primarily the words denote Universals ;-and there is denotation of Individuals only as inseparable from Universals. Even so, however, there would be nothing incongruous in the Scripture speaking of the Omniscient Person being eternal.-- This is what the Author points out in the words-Then too, in regard, etc. etc.' That is to say, even when the Omniscient Person is one only, a multiplicity might be assumed on the basis of varying states; and thereby it would be possible for Him to be spoken by means of a word denotative of the Universal;what to say then when there is an immeasurable line of Omniscient Persons 2-(3524-3525)
Then again, if you do not accept the Rescensional text called 'Nimitta' as Veda,--yet, even so, your assertion, that "the Omniscient Person is not mentioned in the Veda", becomes doubtful at any rate. This is what is pointed out in the following
TEXTS (3526-3527).
AS REGARDS THE WORDS OF THE VEDA, AS THEY ARE SELF-SUFFICIENT, THEIR MEANING COULD NOT BE ASCERTAINED FROM THE VEDA ITSELF;
-NOR FROM THE LEARNER BY HIMSELF, OR FROM SOME OTHER PERSON, WHO MIGHT BE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DELUSION AND OTHER DISABILITIES. UNDER THE CIRCUMSTANCES, HOW COULD THERE BE ANY CERTAINTY REGARDING THE ASSERTION THAT"WHAT IS MEANT BY THE VEDIO WORDSAgnihotram juhuyāt svargakāmah-IS not THAT Jina is omniscient?
(3526-3527)
COMMENTARY.
The words of the Veda, on account of their eternality, must be selfsufficient, independent; hence what these words mean cannot be ascertained from the Veda itself; because the Veda nowhere says 'My meaning is this - not that';-nor could it be ascertained from the learner by himself;-or from some other person, in the shape of an expounder; because all these
