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Vakyapadiya (study of the concept of Sentence)

by Sarath P. Nath | 2018 | 36,088 words

This page relates ‘Date of Bhartrihari (The Philosopher Linguist)� of the study on Vakyapadiya by Bhartrhari and his treatment of the Concept of Sentence in Language. Bhartrhari was a great grammarian and philosopher who explored the depth and breadth of Sanskrit grammar. These pages analyse the concepts and discussions on sentence and sentence-meaning presented in the Vakyapadiya, against the different systems of knowledge prevalent in ancient India (such as Mimamsa, Nyaya and Vyakarana).

6.1. Date of 󲹰ṛh (The Philosopher Linguist)

󲹰ṛh is considered as an outstanding figure in the history of Indian linguistic thought. He led Grammar into philosophy proper, by making a case for ղ첹ṇa as a 岹śԲ, a view about ultimate things, eventually about liberation. Gaurinath Sastri therefore aptly refers to his work as an "astoundingly original system of thought which to the best of my knowledge has no parallel" (Introduction, 1959, p.xxiv). ⲹ貹īⲹ became the most extensive work in the medieval period which represented the most fruitful epoch of Indian thought. 󲹰ṛh was also the major architect of ṭa theory, which is regularly identified as the contribution of grammarians to the philosophical problem of meaning. His linguistic philosophy is to be considered as unique and singular among the linguistic thoughts in India.

Although 󲹰ṛh is a renowned grammarian, philosopher and author in Sanskrit literature, we have very little information about his personal life and date. There are references of many Bhs and one may find different traditions about him in different places. ṭṭ, the author of the grammatical poem ṭṭkāvya, was also known as 󲹰ṛh. There are references to another 󲹰ṛh, who was the ruler of Malwa, in ٳ's History of Buddhism. He also mentions a 󲹰ṛh who was intimately connected to the King and one of the nine great siddhas of the ٳ󲹱貹Գٳīⲹ religious order. But neither the King nor the siddha is known to have been a poet (K V Sharma, Introduction, 1969, p.8). One of the traditions says that, 󲹰ṛh was the youngest son of a Brahmin who had four wives from four different casts and that 󲹰ṛh was the son of śū wife. Another tradition says that 󲹰ṛh was a king, perhaps a brother of either վ徱ٲⲹ or Śū첹, who gave up his worldly life and became a ԲԲ. 󲹰ṛh's life has been dramatized by Harihara in his 󲹰ṛhnirveda. In this story, 󲹰ṛh is portrayed as a student of Gorakṣānātha, from whom he learns Yoga and renounces the world (Coward, 1980, p.11). However, these traditions cannot be taken as evidence to fix the date of 󲹰ṛh. Since he had commented upon the Ѳṣy of ʲٲñᲹ (150 BCE), the date of Ѳṣy can be taken as the upper limit.

His major work ⲹ貹īⲹ is referred to by 峾Բ and 徱ٲⲹ in ś屹ṛtپ (650 CE).

adhikṛtya kṛte granthe, (ṇiԾ, 4.3.87). śśܰԻ岹ⲹ󲹻屹Ի屹ԻᲹԲ徱ś�, (ṇiԾ, 4.3.88). taditi vartate. adhikṛtya kṛte granthe iti ca. dvandvāt (dvitīyāsamarthāt) cha� pratyayo bhavati adhikṛtya kṛte granthe. śabdārtasambandhīyam prakaraṇam. ⲹ貹īⲹm." (Under ṇiԾ, 4.3.87-88)

Hence 󲹰ṛh can be placed within the limits 150 BCE-650 CE. Much of the evidence regarding his date supports him being placed nearer to the latter date. I-tsing, the Chinese traveller and a Buddhist, who studied at the Nalanda monastery in 670 CE, reported 󲹰ṛh died forty years earlier. If this report is accepted as authentic, 󲹰ṛh probably died in 630 CE. But I-tsing also reported that 󲹰ṛh was a contemporary of ٳ󲹰, who lived from 530 to 561 CE. Here it can be noted that I-tsing's opinions are self contradictory and unacceptable. More reliable evidence can be seen in the Tibetan translation of հⲹ ʲīṣ� of the famous Buddhist author پṅn岵. He quotes two verses from the DZ貹ñṛtپ (hereafter ṛtپ) of ⲹ貹īⲹ. This evidently says that 󲹰ṛh must have preceded پṅn岵, who flourished between 480-540 CE. Some autobiographical references can be seen at the end of the second ṇḍ of ⲹ貹īⲹ, where he mentions his teacher with great respect (2. 478-487). ʳṇyᲹ, in his commentary, makes it clear that it is Vasurāta, the teacher of 󲹰ṛh (ⲹ貹īⲹ, 2.481). The Tibetan translations of پṅn岵 and some works of a Jaina writer Simhasūrigaṇi suggest that Vasurāta was a Brahmin and a brother-in-law of Bālāditya, a pupil of the great Buddhist scholar Vasubandhu, whose date is fixed as 400 CE (Coward, 1980, p.11).

We can collect as many references supporting the latter date limit of 󲹰ṛh. In Śٲ貹ٳ󲹲󳾲ṇa, while commenting on the portion 'vāgvā anuṣṭub, vāco vā idam sarvam prabhavati' (1-3-2-16),

Hariswāmi quotes two verses from ⲹ貹īⲹ as follows.

vāco vā ityādi. 峦� śabdasya sakāśāt 'idam' sarvamarthajāta� prabhavati. ata eva jagata� śabdavivartamāhu�. tadyathā-

徱Ծ󲹲Բ� brahma ś岹ٲٳٱ� yadakṣaram vivartate' rthabhāvena jagato ⲹٲ�. iti.
tathānyatrāpi śabdavedhāt tatkāryatvam arthasyoktam-na so' sti pratyayo loke ya� śābdānugamādṛte
anuviddhamiva ñԲ� śabdena bhāsate. iti
. " (1-3-2-16)

Hariswāmi was evidently lived in the sixth century CE. Another important reference that historians point out is that of Kumārilabhaṭṭa who flourished in the fifth century CE. He quotes several verses of ⲹ貹īⲹ in his famous work ղԳٰپ첹. In the light of all these discussions, it may be deduced that the date of 󲹰ṛh can be fixed between 450 -500 CE.

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