Vakyapadiya of Bhartrihari
by K. A. Subramania Iyer | 1965 | 391,768 words
The English translation of the Vakyapadiya by Bhartrihari including commentary extracts and notes. The Vakyapadiya is an ancient Sanskrit text dealing with the philosophy of language. Bhartrhari authored this book in three parts and propounds his theory of Sphotavada (sphota-vada) which understands language as consisting of bursts of sounds conveyi...
This book contains Sanskrit text which you should never take for granted as transcription mistakes are always possible. Always confer with the final source and/or manuscript.
Verse 1.14
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 1.14:
啶むう啷� 啶︵啶掂ぞ啶班ぎ啶さ啶班啶椸じ啷嵿く 啶掂ぞ啶權啶げ啶距え啶距 啶氞た啶曕た啶む啶膏た啶むぎ啷� 啷�
啶さ啶苦い啷嵿ぐ啶� 啶膏ぐ啷嵿さ啶掂た啶︵啶ぞ啶ㄠぞ啶ぇ啶苦さ啶苦う啷嵿く啶� 啶啶班啶距ざ啶む 啷� 啷оオ 啷�tad dv膩ramapavargasya v膩峁卪al膩n膩峁� cikitsitam |
pavitra峁� sarvavidy膩n膩madhividya峁� prak膩艣ate || 14 ||14. It (Grammar) is the door to salvation, the remedy for all the impurities of speech, the purifier of all the sciences and shines in every branch of knowledge.
Commentary
1One, who, with a previous knowledge of the correct forms of words, realises the unity of the real word, goes beyond sequence and attains union with it. By acquiring special merit through the use of the correct word, he is united with the great Word and attains freedom from the senses.2 After having reached the undifferentiated state of the word, he comes to the source of all differentiation: Intuition (辫谤补迟颈产丑腻). From that Intuition in which all Being is latent and which, due to the repetition of the union (mentioned above) tends to produce its result, he reaches the Supreme Source in which all differentiation in completely lost. What is meant by 鈥榯he remedy for all impurities of speech鈥� is that it is like the science of Medicine (Ayurveda) in regard to the defects of the body. One who knows grammar does not use the corrupt forms which are the cause of sin. It has been said that.
鈥淜nowledge (of the correct forms) is his refuge鈥� (M. Bh膩. I, p. 2, 1. 28.).
What is meant by 鈥榩urifier of all the sciences鈥� is that correctness (蝉补峁僺办腻谤补) is known through it. In all the sciences, it is ths (correct) words which convey the meaning. It has been said:鈥�
鈥淲hatever is learnt and not understood but is merely uttered as it is, is like dry fuel without fire; it will never burn.鈥�3
There is also the following verse cited by those who have not gone astray:鈥�
鈥淥n the earth, water is the purest of things; of the (purified) waters, it is the sacred hymns (mantras) which are the purifying agents and the sages have declared that it is the science of Grammar which reveals the purity of the sacred hymns, 厂腻尘补苍, 峁歬 and Yajus.鈥�
What is meant by 鈥榮hines in every branch of knowledge鈥� is that everybody follows the science of grammar even for composing a work on his own special subject and is very careful to avoid the use of corrupt forms.
Notes
1. This verse is understood in the 痴峁泃迟颈 as describing the stages through which the grammarian goes in attaining 尘辞办峁. V峁�. says: etasy膩 eva brahmapr膩pte岣� kramam id膩n墨峁� var峁嘺yann 膩ha avyavak墨r峁嚹乵 iti. Some, however, think that different forms of liberation are set forth here.
One thing to be noted is that 叠丑补谤迟峁沨补谤颈, in the 痴峁泃迟颈, speaks about going from 辫谤补迟颈产丑腻 which is understood by V峁�. as 笔补艣测补苍迟墨, to 笔补谤腻 笔谤补办峁泃颈. In other words, there is a stage beyond 笔补艣测补苍迟墨 called 笔补谤腻 笔谤补办峁泃颈岣�. 笔补艣测补苍迟墨 itself is called sarvavik膩r膩峁嚹佱箖 辫谤补办峁泃颈岣�. Thus 笔补艣测补苍迟墨 is 辫谤补办峁泃颈 and after that comes par膩 辫谤补办峁泃颈岣�.
2. Vaikara峁噛am = apagatendriyat膩m (V峁�.). The same word is used in the 痴峁泃迟颈 on verse 5 to describe one of the alternative conception of 尘辞办峁.
3. Ni. 1. 18.