उपदेशसाहस्री (आदि शङ्कराचार्य - गद्य व पद्य भाग)

262 A THOUSAND TEACHINGS [CHAP. XVIII
the negation of non-destruction. A cow is defined
according to you as the non-existence of a non-cow.
It cannot be the definition of a cow.
क्षणवाच्योऽपि योऽर्थः स्यात्सोऽप्यन्याभाव एव ते ॥ १४६॥
146. Things denoted by the word ‘momentary’ are
also, according to you, only the negation of things
that are non-momentary.¹
भेदाभावेऽप्यभावस्य भेदो नामभिरिष्यते ।
नामभेदैरनेकत्वमेकस्य स्यात्कथं तव ॥ १४७ ॥
147. (The Idealists). As there cannot be any dif-
ference in non-existence² differences are due to names
only. (Reply). Please, tell me how there can be
manyness in one (indivisible non-existence) due only
to different names.
अपोहो यदि भिन्नानां वृत्तिस्तस्य कथं गवि ।
नाभावा भेदकाः सर्वे विशेषा वा कथंचन ॥ १४८ ॥
148. How³ can the negation (of a non-cow) denote a
cow if by the word negation the negation of different
things is meant ? (Again) no negation⁴ distinguishes
one thing from another, nor can special properties⁵ do it.
¹ You have, therefore, to accept a permanent real entity.
² The Idealist means to say that his negation is not that of a
reality.
³ For there is no limit to the number of things denoted by the
word non-cow. All of them cannot, therefore, be known. So a
cow cannot be defined.
⁴ E.g., the negation of a horse or that of a goat does not distinguish
a cow from either of them.
⁵ E.g., hornlessness etc. See the next verse.