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 3.7.38
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.7.38:
तत्त्वे वा व्यतिरेके वा व्यतिरिक्तं तदुच्यते ।
शब्दप्रमाणको लोकः स शास्त्रेणानुगम्यते ॥ ३८ ॥tattve vā vyatireke vā vyatiriktaṃ taducyate |
śabdapramāṇako lokaḥ sa śāstreṇānugamyate || 38 ||38. As to whether it (power) is identical with or different from (its substratum), it is held that it is different. For the world, the word is the authority and the śāstra (that is, Grammar) follows it too.
Commentary
After having considered whether power is one or many, something is being said as to whether it is different or not from its substratum.
[Read verse 38 above]
[The next question is whether power is different from its substratum or identical with it. It is difficult to say definitely what it is. In grammar, it is held to be different. The world goes by the word and the śāstra also follows it. On the basis of the word, the world looks upon the power which leads to action as different from its substratum. Otherwise, the latter would always lead to action.]