Purva-Mimamsa in its Sources c19.s1.13

c19.s1.13

This theory becomes divested of much of its apparent absurdity when we realise the fact that, the Scriptural Word alone is free from all defects in its source (as it has no *source* at all), and hence inherently valid; and hence no other Words can be regarded as affording invariably valid Cognitions; specially when it is found that in common parlance, most of the Cognitions obtained through Words of ordinary men turn out to be invalid and unreliable. Hence at best, Cognitions derived from Non-Scriptural Words can be regarded to be of the same kind as Remembrance; and hence of doubtful validity. And as Cognitions of doubtful validity cannot be accepted as ‘Cognition’ proper, which, by its very nature, must be always valid, the conclusion is irresistible that Non-Scriptural words cannot provide any Cognition, in the proper sense of the term; they are mere translators or reflectors or describers of what is in the mind of the person uttering the words; and the validity of these reflectors can be ascertained only by other means of knowledge. It is in reference to such Non-Scriptural words that we have the saying— पदमप्यधिकाभावात्स्मरणं विशिष्यते, that is, ‘the Word is nothing more than what provides Remembrance’ (Shlo. Vā. Shabda 107).