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 1.148
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 1.148:
啶呧じ啷嵿さ啶椸啶｀啶ぞ啶︵く啶� 啶多が啷嵿う啶距 啶膏ぞ啶оさ啷� 啶掂た啶粪く啶距え啷嵿い啶班 啷�
啶ㄠた啶た啶む啶むき啷囙う啶距い啷� 啶膏ぐ啷嵿さ啶む啶� 啶膏ぞ啶о啶む啶掂 啶� 啶掂啶さ啶膏啶ムた啶むぎ啷� 啷� 啷оオ啷� 啷�asvago峁噛膩daya岣� 艣abd膩岣� s膩dhavo vi峁y膩ntare |
nimittabhed膩t sarvatra s膩dhutva峁� ca vyavasthitam || 148 ||148. Words like 鈥�asva鈥� and 鈥�驳辞峁嚹�鈥� are correct in regard to other meanings. Everywhere correctness is determined by the particular meaning which the word is to convey.
Commentary
The two words 驳辞峁嚹� and asva are correct, the former in the sense of a receptacle and the latter in the sense of one who owns nothing. These two words which have acquired their correct form in regard to some other meanings are considered to be correct if, due to some special reason,1 they are used to denote an object having dew-lap etc. and one which neighs etc. respectively. When a cow carries much milk and is, therefore, like a receptable, one says: this cow is a receptacle because she is like a receptacle. In the same way, a horse (补艣惫补) is called 鈥�asva鈥� when it is a priceless one.1 Therefore, till some feature is isolated on the basis of which correctness or incorrectness can be established, no object is definite.
Notes
1. Tath膩 s膩sn膩dimati hre峁t膩dili峁単e ca.... tath膩vidyam膩na峁� svam asya so'yamasva iti. What is stated here that, in certain circumstances, the words 鈥�驳辞峁嚹�鈥� and 鈥�asva鈥�, applied to a cow and to a horse respectively, would be correct. Figurative use of words is meant here. This passage of the 痴峁泃迟颈 should be compared with the commentary of 叠丑补谤迟峁沨补谤颈 on the M. Bh膩 (Paspa艣膩hnika), p. 13 (the edition now being printed in Benares) or p. 11 (of the edition of K. V. Abhyankar and V. P. Lirnaye) A.B.O.R.I., Vol. XLIII: Sa eva 艣abdo'rthavi艣e峁 Kasmin艣cidas膩dhurityetad膩khy膩yate. Yath膩 驳辞峁嚹沘bda岣� s膩sn膩dimatyas膩dhustath膩 补艣惫补艣abda岣� kesar膩dimati s膩dhur na ni岣va iti. asva iti nirdhane 蝉腻诲丑耻岣�, naika艣aph膩dilak峁峁噀. Yadi tu 驳辞峁嚹沘bdo'pi nimitt膩ntar膩t s膩sn膩dimati prayujyeta 驳辞峁嚹玽a 驳辞峁嚹玹i s膩dhur eva sy膩t. A艣ve v膩 asva艣abda峁� dhan膩bh膩vadv膩rakam prayu帽j墨ta sa s膩dhur eva.