Vidhiviveka 1.2

1.2

tatastadanuvidhāyinaḥ pravartante . aviditaviṣayatayā nā'nadhigatasamayāḥ pravartante ityapi mithyā . tanmātrasaṅgatijñasyā'pi tatprasaṅgāt . apratyayapūrvāyāṃ ca śabdaparatantrasya pravṛttau viṣayavedanā'nupayogāt . prabalapavaneritasyevā'ndhapaṅgvāderna vedanaṃ pravṛttyaṅgam . kārako api prāṇistho'hidaṃśo jñānamapekṣate . naivam . jñānasyaiva tatra kārakatvāt . vinā'pyahidaṃśaṃ śaṅkāviṣeṇā'pi maraṇadarśanāt .

From that, those who conform to it act. It is also false that 'they do not act because they do not know the linguistic convention, having an unknown object.' For then even one who merely knows the connection would have that consequence. Moreover, when activity is dependent on a word and not preceded by cognitive apprehension, cognition of the object is of no use. Just as for a blind or lame person driven by a violent wind, cognition is not an auxiliary to activity. [Objection:] A snakebite located in a living being is a productive factor, yet it requires knowledge. [Reply:] It is not so, for in that case knowledge itself is the productive factor, since death is observed to occur even without a snakebite, through poison suspected.