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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.

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 1.99:

प्रकाशकाना� भेदांश्च प्रकाश्योऽर्थोऽनुवर्तत� �
तैलोदकादिभेद� तत� प्रत्यक्षं प्रतिबिम्बके � ९९ �

prakāśakānā� bhedāṃśca prakāśyo'rtho'nuvartate |
tailodakādibhede tat pratyakṣa� pratibimbake || 99 ||

99. The thing that is revealed follows the differences of the revealors. This is evident in the case of reflections in such different reflectors as oil, water etc.

Commentary

Another opposite view is now put forward—The word is is not manifested because (in its case) increase, decrease and difference in number of the manifestors are seen in the manifested (the word). When there is increase and decrease of the manifestors, increase and decrease of the manifested are not found. Increase and decrease of (the light of) lamps (the manifestors) do not cause increase and decrease of jars etc. Nor does any variation in the number of lamps cause any change in the original number of jars etc. In the case of the word, on the other hand, one sees variation in number and magnitude following variation in the striking of the vocal organs. Therefore, the word is not manifested.

This argument is answered as follows—one does see that the manifested follow the variations of the manifestors. It is as follows—When the surface of the mirror is sunk, the reflection of the face is raised, when the surface of the mirror is raised, the reflection of the face is sunk. In a dagger, the reflection of the face is long, in mustard oil, it is dark, in a Chinese dagger, Greek crystal etc. it follows the dimensions of the reflector. Thus possibilities of variation are infinite. Difference of number is also seen in the case of the reflections of the sun etc. when there are many mirrors and many waves of water.2

Notes

1. It is not clear what specific objects are meant by īԲśٰ and ⲹԲ峦. Obviously, they could reflect objects.

2. The ṛtپ may be compared with the following passage from the Mahābhāṣyaṭīkā of 󲹰ṛh

Yasyāpi śābdavyakti� tasyāpi Ծٲⲹ� Ś岹�. Sa tu nādābhivyaṅgya�. padaniyato 岹�. Yathā cakṣurādayo Ծⲹ abhivyañjakā abhivyaṅgyeṣu rūpādiṣu. rūpavṛddhirāsānuvidhāyinaśca. Yathādarśamaṇḍalādiṣu pratibimbāni dīrghāṇi parimaṇḍalāni mahānti anyāni ca dṛśyante eva� śabdā api nādabhedena bhidyante. Yathā salile taraṅgabhede naikaś candro'neka upalaghyate, pradīpabhedācca bhidyate, ādarśabhedācca pratibimbabheda�. TasmānԾⲹnādābhivyaṅgyā hrādavṛddhihrāsānuvidhāyino vyaktiśabdā api Ծٲ�.

Ѳṣyī辱 of 󲹰ṛh, p. 20 (A.B.O.R.I, XLIII).

It might be said that the reflection which has entered a mirror etc. is different from its originals like the moon etc. Against this, the answer is�

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