Verse 2139-2140

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation by Ganganath Jha:

तावत्कालं स्थिरं चैनं कः पश्चान्नाशयिष्यति ।
सम्भाव्यतेऽस्य नाशित्वं न भूयोऽन्येन हेतुना ॥ २१३९ ॥
यथा शस्त्रादिभिश्छेदाज्जरया वा घटादयः ।
नङ्क्ष्यन्तीत्यवगम्यन्ते नैवं शब्देऽस्ति कारणम् ॥ २१४० ॥

tāvatkālaṃ sthiraṃ cainaṃ kaḥ paścānnāśayiṣyati |
sambhāvyate'sya nāśitvaṃ na bhūyo'nyena hetunā || 2139 ||
yathā śastrādibhiśchedājjarayā vā ghaṭādayaḥ |
naṅkṣyantītyavagamyante naivaṃ śabde'sti kāraṇam || 2140 ||

“And if the word existed for such a long time, who could destroy it after that?—[Ślokavārtika—eternality of words—367].—For another reason again it is not possible for the word to be destroyed: in the case of the jar and other things, it is understood that they would become destroyed either through decay or through some weapon; there is no such cause by which the word could be destroyed.”—(2139-2140)

 

Kamalaśīla’s commentary (tattvasaṃgrahapañjikā):

The following might be urged (against the Mīmāṃsaka):—If the Word get at its denotation after a long time,—even so, how does it become proved that the Word exists for all time?

The answer to this is as follows;—[see verses 2139-2140 above]

‘For such a long time’,—i.e. during which time it denotes its own meaning after excluding so many other factors.

Says the Opponent:—In the case of the Jar, etc. it is found that though they continue to exist for a long time, yet they come to be destroyed by the stroke of a stick or some such thing; the same may be the case with Word also.

The answer to this is—“For another reason, etc. etc.”—‘Bhūyaḥ’—again.

Things like the Jar undergo destruction either by decay or by the stroke of some weapon; there is no such cause for the destruction of the Word,—Why?—Because the Word is incorporeal, while the Jar and other things are corporeal.—(2139-2140)