anavasthāprasaṅga ādeḥ siddhir nāsti | kiṃ kāraṇaṃ | teṣām apihi pramāṇānām anyaiḥ pramāṇaiḥ prasiddhis teṣām anyair iti nāsty ādiḥ |
āder asadbhāvāt kuto madhyaṃ kuto ’ntaḥ |
tasmāt teṣāṃ pramāṇānām anyaiḥ pramāṇaiḥ prasiddhir iti yad ukataṃ tad nopapadyata iti |
若量能成所量物者 彼量復有異量來成彼量 復有異量成故 如是 無初
若無初者如是無中 若無中者何處有後
如是若說彼量復有異量成者 是義不然 偈言
thug pa med par gyur pa na || daṅ po ’grub par mi ’gyur ro || ci’i phyir źe na | tshad ma de rnams kyaṅ tshad ma gźan rnams kyis rab tu ’grub pa yin la | de rnams kyaṅ gźan rnams kyi yin pas ’di la daṅ po med do ||
daṅ po med pa’i phyir bar ma yaṅ ga la yod | tha ma yaṅ ga la yod de
de’i phyir tshad ma de rnams ni tshad ma gźan rnams kyis rab tu ’grub pa’o źes smras pa gaṅ yin pa de mi ’thad do ||
If there is an infinite series, the beginning cannot be established. - Why? - Because those pramāṇas are established through other pramāṇas, and those others again through other pramāṇas. Thus there is no beginning.
[And] if there is no beginning, how can there be a middle? How can there be an end?
Consequently, the statement that those pramāṇas are established through other pramāṇas is not valid.
Complete text
Verse 1-10