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 3.1.40
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.1.40:
啶嗋ざ啷嵿ぐ啶 啶膏啶掂ぞ啶む啶ぎ啶距い啷嵿ぐ啶� 啶掂ぞ 啶ぞ啶掂ぞ 啶掂ぞ 啶掂啶い啶苦ぐ啷囙啶苦ぃ啶� 啷�
啶膏啶掂ざ啶曕啶むく啷� 啶掂ぞ 啶膏い啷嵿い啶距く啶� 啶啶︵う啶班啶多え啶灌啶むさ啶� 啷� 啷ウ 啷�膩艣raya岣� sv膩tmam膩tr膩 v膩 bh膩v膩 v膩 vyatireki峁嘺岣� |
sva艣aktayo v膩 satt膩y膩 bhedadar艣anahetava岣� || 40 ||40. It is its substratum or its (fictitious) parts or things appearing to be different from it or its own powers which are the causes of differentiation in Being.
Commentary
The author now points out which associated things bring about multiplicity in 鈥楤eing鈥�.
[Read verse 40 above]
[The substratum causes variety or multiplicity. Just as the same face, reflected in oil or water or mirror, appears to vary, similarly, the same 鈥楤eing鈥�, manifested by a cow or a horse, appears to be different. Or, one can say that the universals like 鈥榗owness鈥� or 鈥榟orseness鈥� etc. which are nothing else than artificial divisions of Being, make the one appear to be many. The whole which is one appears to have multiplicity through its own parts. Sometimes multiplicity is due to things like space, time and the senses. We speak of things thus: 鈥榯his is here now鈥�, 鈥榯hat was there them鈥� and so on, showing how time and space bring about difference. To one who is suffering from jaundice, white appears to be yellow. The ultimate truth is this: Brahman which is omnipotent appears as many for the worldly experiencer].
After having pointed out that, according to the views of others and of the Grammarians, the universal is the meaning of words, the author now explains its properties.