The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Ramanuja: Sacred Books of the East, Volume 48
Religion
The Vedanta-Sutras with the Commentary by Ramanuja: Sacred Books of the East, Volume 48
Vedanta
Against this the Pûrvapakshin now may argue as follows. Several words
which are applied to one thing are meant to express one sense, and as
this is not possible in so far as the words connote different attributes,
this part of their connotation becomes inoperative, and they denote only
the unity of one substance; implication (lakshanâ), therefore, does not
take place. When we say 'blue (is) (the) lotus' we employ two words with
the intention of expressing the unity of one thing, and hence do not aim
at expressing a duality of attributes, viz. the quality of blueness and
the generic character of a lotus. If this latter point was aimed at, it
would follow that the sentence would convey the oneness of the two
aspects of the thing, viz. its being blue and its being a lotus; but
this is not possible, for the thing (denoted by the two terms) is not
characterised by (the denotation of) the word 'lotus,' in so far as
itself characterised by blueness; for this would imply a reciprocal
inherence (samavâya) of class-characteristics and quality [FOOTNOTE 219:1].
What the co-ordination of the two words conveys is, therefore, only the
oneness of a substance characterised by the quality of blueness, and at
the same time by the class attributes of a lotus. In the same way, when
we say 'this (person is) that Devadatta' the co-ordination of the words
cannot possibly mean that Devadatta in so far as distinguished by his
connexion with a past time and a distant place is one with Devadatta in
so far as distinguished by his connexion with the present time and a
near place; what it means to express is only that there is oneness on
the part of a personal substance--which substance is characterised by
connexion with both places and moments of time. It is true indeed that
when we at first hear the one word 'blue' we form the idea of the
attribute of blueness, while, after having apprehended the relation of
co-ordination (expressed in 'blue is the lotus'), this idea no longer
presents itself, for this would imply a contradiction; but all the same
'implication' does not take place. The essence of co-ordination consists,
in all cases, therein that it suppresses the distinguishing elements in
the words co-ordinated. And as thus our explanation cannot be charged
with 'implication,' it cannot be objected to.
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