Manava Dharmashastra 1.5.2

1.5.2

126 | 3) | candrārkāgnyādiṣu bāhyādhyātmikeṣu mahāpralaye prakāśakeṣu naṣṭeṣu tama eva kevalamāsīt | tadapi tamaḥ sthūlarūpatamasā gūḍhaṃ saṃvṛttam | na hi tadānīṃ kaścidapi jñātā'sti | ato jñāturabhāvānna kasyacit jñānamastīti tamasā gūḍhamucyate | agre bhūtasṛṣṭeḥ prāk apraketamajñātaṃ sarva āḥ āsīt | idaṃ salilaṃ saraṇadharmakam, kriyāvat yatkiṃcicceṣṭāvattatsarvaṃ niśceṣṭamāsīt | tucchena sūkṣmeṇāsu sthūlamapihitaṃ prakṛtyātmani viśeṣarūpaṃ līnamityarthaḥ | etāvatā'vyākṛtāvasthā jagato dyotitā | caturthena pādenādyā sṛṣṭyavasthocyate | tapasastanmahinā mahattvena ekaṃ yadāsīttadajāyata viśeṣātmanā'bhivyajyate sma | karmavaśātpunaḥ prādurbabhūvetyarthaḥ | athavā tasyāmavasthāyāṃ tapaḥkarmaṇā mahattvena hiraṇyagarbha ātmanā'jāyata prādurāsīt | yathā vakṣyati ‘tataḥ svayaṃbhūriti’ (ślo0 6) | sāmānyato dṛṣṭena mahāpralayo'pi saṃbhāvyate | yasya hyekadeśo nāśo dṛṣṭastasya sarvasyāpi nāśo dṛśyate | yathā śālā'pi kaciddahyamānā dṛṣṭā kadācitsarvo grāmo dahyate | ye ca kartṛpūrvā bhāvāste sarve vinaśvarā gṛhaprāsādādayaḥ | kartṛpūrva cedaṃ jagatsaritsamudraśailādyātmakam | ato gṛhādivannaṅkṣyatīti saṃbhāvyate | "kartṛpūrvakataiva na siddheti" cetsanniveśaviśeṣavattvādinā gṛhādivatsā'pi sādhyata ityādi sāmānyato dṛṣṭam | na ca pramāṇaśuddhau taddṣaṇe vā prayatāmahe'nidaṃparatvācchāstrasya | etaddhi yāvanna vicārya nirūpitaṃ tāvanna samyagavadhāryate | tathānirūpaṇe ca tarkaśāstratā syānna dharmaśāstratā granthavistaraśca prasajyeta |

The possibility of Universal Dissolution is proved by Inference: That which has been found to bo destroyed in one part is also found to be destroyed in its entirety; e.g. at one time a single house is found to be burnt, and at another time the entire village is burnt (this is the Major Premise); all such things as are produced by active agents,—such for instance, as houses, palaces and the like are found to be liable to destruction (this is the second step in the inferential process);—this world, consisting of rivers, oceans, mountains &c., is the work of an active agent (this is the third step);—hence it follows that, like the house &c., the whole world will come to destruction (this is the final conclusion). It will not be right to argue that the fact of the world being the work of an active agent is itself not yet established;—for that fact also is deduced from the fact of the world having, like the house and such things, a particular shape;—all this constitutes the Inference (upon which the statements in the present verse are based).

We do not make any attempt either at clarifying (discussing and strengthening) the said proofs, or at refuting (the counter-arguments); because the present treatise does not deal with proofs and reasonings; and reasonings could not be fully grasped until they have been fully stated and examined; and if all this were done, the work would become a treatise on ‘Reasonings,’ not on ‘Law;’ and further, it would become too prolix.