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 3.2.5
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.2.5:
啶嗋啶距ぐ啷堗ざ啷嵿 啶掂啶さ啶氞啶涏啶︵ぞ啶む 啶膏ぞ啶班啶掂ぞ啶班啶ム啶ぞ啶さ啶班啶о啶い啷� 啷�
啶ぅ啷堗さ 啶氞啷嵿し啷佮ぐ啶距う啷�啶ㄠぞ啶� 啶膏ぞ啶ぐ啷嵿ぅ啷嵿く啶� 啶ㄠぞ啶∴た啶曕ぞ啶︵た啶た啶� 啷� 啷� 啷�膩k膩rai艣ca vyavacched膩t s膩rv膩rthy膩mavarudhyate |
yathaiva cak峁r膩d墨n膩峁� s膩marthya峁� n膩岣峣k膩dibhi岣� || 5 ||5. Just as the capacity of the eye etc. is limited by the tube etc., so is the capacity of words to convey all meanings restricted by the particular forms which they bring to the mind.
Commentary
The author now explains how, if every word ultimately points to the ultimate reality, confusion does not result in usage.
[Read verse 5 above]
[There would be no confusion because each word points to the substance Brahman through a particular form which that word and that word alone can bring to the mind. The word jar (驳丑补峁璦), for instance, points to Brahman through the form of a jar. Just as one who looks through a tube sees only as much of reality as is visible through the hole of the tube, similarly, through each word, one can see only a particular form, limited by nescience and this form points to reality. Covers and impediments only restrict the power of the senses. They do not, in any way, affect reality. Similarly, nescience only restricts or limits the 箩墨惫补蝉, does not affect ultimate reality. It is not merely such things as tubes which restrict our vision. Attention concentrated on one thing takes it away from others. The particular beauty of a thing attracts our attention towards it and takes it away from others.]
The author now says something about words like 蝉补苍苍颈惫别艣补 (=form, shape) which seem to denote attribute (dharma) only and not substance.