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 3.1.10
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.1.10:
या शब्दजातिः शब्देषु शब्देभ्यो भिन्नलक्षणा ।
जातिस्सा शब्दजातित्वमप्यतिक्रम्य वर्तते ॥ १० ॥yā śabdajātiḥ śabdeṣu śabdebhyo bhinnalakṣaṇā |
jātissā śabdajātitvamapyatikramya vartate || 10 ||10. The universal of words, residing in words and differing from the words themselves, includes also the universal existing in the word śabdajāti.
Commentary
[The universal which exists in words and which is different from the words themselves is so comprehensive that it includes the universal which exists in the word śabdajāti itself. When we say: śabdajāti, it does not denote a universal which is over and above such universals as gośabdatva, aśvaśabdatva etc. Because, one does not believe in a universal over a universal. So the universal which exists in the word śabdajāti itself does the work of such a universal. The universal which exists in the word śabdajāti is in the same category as the universal which exists in the word gauḥ or aśvaḥ. Atikramya vartate has been translated as ‘includes’, following Helārāja.]
The author now tries to show that all words denote the universal without resorting to the concept of ‘adhyāsa’.