[Fwd: "Ten pomegranates" in Dharmakirti's Pramanavarttika]

[Birgit Kellner]

As it luckily happens to lie on my desk - Vincent Eltschinger's "Penser 
l'autorité des Écritures. La Polémique de Dharmakīrti contre la notion 
brahmanique orthodoxe d'un Veda sans auteur. Autour de Pramāṇavārttika 
I.213-268 et Svavṛtti" (Vienna 2007: Österreichische Akademie der 
Wissenschaften) contains a footnote on the passage in question with 
further references: p. 102, n. 106. According to Eltschinger, the 
example is widespread and can also be found at Śabarabhāṣya on 
Mīmaṃsasūtra 1.1.5, Nyāyabhāṣya on Nyāyasūtra 5.2.10, Dharmakīrti's own 
Vādanyāya (ed. Much, p. 43, l.14), and further in Jaina commentaries on 
the Avaśyakaniryukti, see Nalini Balbir, "The Perfect Sūtra as Defined 
by the Jainas", Berliner Indologische Studien 3 (1987), 3-21.

Hope this helps,

Birgit Kellner

Christian K. Wedemeyer wrote:
> Dear Friends,
>
> I received the following query last month, but am unable to come up 
> with anything to help this very worthy person with their uncertainty.
>
> Does any of this ring a bell to anyone else on the list? I will pass 
> on any replies to the person who sent the question.
>
> Thanks,
>
> Christian
>
>
>
> -------- Original Message --------
>
> I am writing with regard to a passing reference in Dharmakīrti's 
> /Pramāṇavarttika /to what may be a Vedic ritual. In his commentary to 
> a verse on the subject of /āptavādaḥ /he makes the remark: "statements 
> like the one containing the words 'ten pomegranates'" 
> (/daśadāḍimādivākyāni/)/. /A subcommentary by Karṇakagomī provides a 
> fuller description of the reference: “the phrase ‘ten pomegranates, 
> etc.’ is such statements as ‘ten pomegranates, six cakes, a bowl, a 
> goat skin, and straw (?)” (S: /daśa dāḍimetyādi daśa dāḍimāni ṣadpūpāḥ 
> kuṇḍam ajājinaṃ palalam ityevam ādīni vākyāni/). Still, neither writer 
> identifies the source or meaning of this reference. The passage is 
> cited as an example of statements that lack "consistency" 
> (/asambandha//ḥ/) or "coherence" (/anupasaṃhāraḥ/). One further piece 
> of the puzzle is a Tibetan translation of a verse that appears in a 
> commentary by a later Indian Buddhist scholar named Śāntarakṣita which 
> also mentions this "ten pomegranates" passage. Although the exact 
> meaning of the end of the verse is uncertain it may contain a 
> reference to a type of ritual called /sparakratu /(The Tibetan 
> contains what seems to be a transliteration of the Sanskrit words but 
> is probably a distortion of the correct spelling). My best read of the 
> line is that it says something like "the false daughter's (? 
> anṛtaduhitṛ) cow, [which was the object] of a /sparakratu /ritual, 
> died." It sounds like this list of items may appear in some Vedic 
> ritual that is intended to save sick cows. I have virtually no 
> knowledge of Vedic literature at all and cannot seem to locate any 
> material that even verifies the existence of this type of ritual, much 
> less provides any explanation of what it may involve.
>
> I would very much appreciate any clarification you might be willing to 
> offer.   
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