Derivation of the word 厂辫丑辞峁璦 [Part 1]

Tattvabindu of Vachaspati Mishra (study)

by Kishor Deka | 2024 | 49,069 words

This page relates 鈥楧erivation of the word Sphota鈥� of the English study of the Tattvabindu by Vachaspati Mishra (study)鈥攁 significant text in the Mimamsa philosophy which addresses the concept of verbal knowledge (shabdabodha) and identifies the efficient cause behind it, examining five traditional perspectives. These are Sphota-Vada, Varna-Vada, Varnamala-Vada, and Anvitabhidhana-Vada and Abhihitanvaya-Vada, with the Tattvabindu primarily endorsing the Abhihitanvayavada view.

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Part 1 - Derivation of the word 厂辫丑辞峁璦

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All the 痴补颈测腻办补谤补峁嘺蝉 have accepted that there is an entity called 蝉辫丑辞峁璦 and it is the origin of all 艣补产诲补蝉, and therefore, they are called 厂辫丑辞峁璦v膩dins. For the 痴补颈测腻办补谤补峁嘺蝉, a word or sentence when taken as an indivisible meaning-unit is the 蝉辫丑辞峁璦. The technical term 蝉辫丑辞峁璦 is difficult to be translated into English, sometimes the word 鈥渟ymbol鈥� is used for 蝉辫丑辞峁璦 in the sense of its function as a linguistic sign.

According to Gaurin膩th 艢腻蝉迟谤颈 the original Greek conception of logos best conveys the meaning of 蝉辫丑辞峁璦:

鈥淭he fact that logos stands for an idea as well as a word wonderfully approximates to the concept of 蝉辫丑辞峁璦.鈥�^[1]

The term 蝉辫丑辞峁璦 is etymologically derived from the Sanskrit root 蝉辫丑耻峁�, which means 鈥榯o burst forth鈥� and it is defined in two ways. In its linguistic sense, it is normally defined as that from which the meaning bursts forth, i.e. shines forth; in other words, it is the word as expressing a meaning (惫腻肠补办补). Secondly, it is defined as an entity which is manifested by the letters. As a matter of fact, 蝉辫丑辞峁璦 is an inner and real word entity which is burst forth or brought to light by the sounds after utterance.^[2]

V. S. Apte, in his Sanskrit-English Dictionary, defines 蝉辫丑辞峁璦 as:

(i) breaking forth, bursting or disclosure; and
(ii) the idea which bursts out or flashes on the mind when a sound is uttered.^[3]

N膩ge艣a Bha峁弓a in his 蝉辫丑辞峁璦v膩da, describes 蝉辫丑辞峁璦, as that from which the meaning bursts or shines forth. In other words, the word that expresses a meaning or the process of expressing a meaning through a word is called 蝉辫丑辞峁璦.^[4] 厂辫丑辞峁璦, according to 惭腻诲丑补惫补, is that which is manifested or revealed by the phonemes.^[5]

The 蝉辫丑辞峁璦 is an indivisible unity. It may thus be thought of as a kind of two-sided coin. On the one hand, it is manifested by the word-sound which is perceived by our sense-organs and on the other side, it simultaneously reveals the word-meaning which inherently resides in all beings. When a person wants to communicate an idea or word-meaning, he begins with the 蝉辫丑辞峁璦 which has been inherently existing in his mind as a unity. When he utters it and produces different sounds in sequence by the moments of his articulatory organs, it appears to have differentiation. But the listener, as he hears the sound sequence, ultimately perceives it as a unity (蝉辫丑辞峁璦), and only then is the word-meaning, which is also inherently present in the listener鈥檚 mind, identified or revealed. In a more philosophic sense, 蝉辫丑辞峁璦 may be described as an excellent ground in which the spoken syllables and conveyed meaning find themselves united as word (艣补产诲补).