Sacred Texts
Mahānirvāṇa Tantra cover

॥ श्री ॥tantraFor reading

Mahānirvāṇa Tantra 11.94

Traditional

Ullāsas
14
Verses
2517
Minutes
1258
Level
advanced

Ullāsa 11 · Verse 94

ग्राह्याग्राह्यसाक्ष्यनिरूपणम्Which testimony is accepted

Verse 94

अन्धानां वाक् प्रमाणं स्याद्बधिराणां तथा प्रिये । मूकानामेड़मूकानां शिरसाऽङ्गीकृतिर्लिपिः ॥ ९४ ॥

andhānāṁ vāk pramāṇaṁ syādbadhirāṇāṁ tathā priyē | mūkānāmēḍamūkānāṁ śirasā’ṅgīkṛtirlipiḥ || 94 ||

Translation

The speech of the blind is proof, and so of the deaf, beloved; for the mute and the deaf-mute, assent by a nod and writing.

Word by word

andhānāṁ
of the blind
vāk
the speech
pramāṇaṁ
proof
syād
(syāt) is
badhirāṇāṁ
of the deaf
tathā
and
priyē
O beloved
mūkānām
(mūkānām) of the mute
ēḍamūkānāṁ
of the deaf-mute
śirasā
by the head
aṅgīkṛtiḥ
(aṅgīkṛtiḥ) assent
lipiḥ
(lipiḥ) writing

Meaning

Disability does not bar a witness.

Commentary

Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated

But can the blind and others, who are unable to see and the like, be witnesses or not? To that doubt he says "andhānām" and the rest. O beloved, the speech of the blind, those without eyes, and of the deaf, those without hearing, is authoritative; for the mute, those without speech, and the deaf-mute (eḍamūka), those without hearing or speech, assent by a nod of the head (śirasā aṅgīkṛti) and writing (lipi), letters, are authoritative.