Verse 3.14.386

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.14.386:

नाभेदेन न भेदेन गुणो द्विष्ठोऽभिधीयते ।
भिन्नयोर्धर्मयोरेकः श्रूयतेऽन्यः प्रतीयते ॥ ३८६ ॥

nābhedena na bhedena guṇo dviṣṭho'bhidhīyate |
bhinnayordharmayorekaḥ śrūyate'nyaḥ pratīyate || 386 ||

386. An attribute existing in two things is presented neither in its identity nor in its peculiar aspect. Of the two attributes, one is mentioned and the other is understood.

Commentary

According to what has been said above, the common attribute amounts to the universal of the quality (guṇajāti). Even if it is understood as standing for the quality itself, the word expressive of it can be called sāmānyavacana. That is what is explained in the following.

[Read verse 386 above]

[The attribute common to the standard and the object of comparison is never presented by the word as identical. It is presented as determined either by the standard of companion or by the object of comparison and so not as an identical attribute. Nor is it presented in the particular form in which it exists in one of the things. Words never convey the absolutely peculiar feature of an object. They convey the universal. An attribute, as existing in one particular thing only, is not useful for comparison. So the word śyāma denotes the quality, not in its peculiarity and yet as existing in one of the things. It is, however, understood by implication as existing in the other thing also. In this way, the word becomes sāmānyavacana, a word expressive of the common attribute.]

So far the intention of the M. Bhā. I, p. 397, 11. 9-10. has been explained. It is now shown that this explanation is based on the text itself.