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 3.14.554
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.14.554:
सिद्ध्यसिद्धिकृतो भेद उपमानोपमेययोः ।
सर्वत्रैव यतोऽसिद्धं प्रसिद्धेनोपमीयते ॥ ५५४ ॥siddhyasiddhikṛto bheda upamānopameyayoḥ |
sarvatraiva yato'siddhaṃ prasiddhenopamīyate || 554 ||554. The difference between the standard and the object of comparison is due to perfection and imperfection. Everywhere the imperfect is compared t [to?] the perfect.
Commentary
[Everywhere the relation of standard and object of comparison is based upon perfection and imperfection. It has already been said that where there is total difference or complete identity there cannot be comparison. Due to clarity and distinctness, a Brāhmaṇa’s recitation is known to be perfect and it becomes the standard for the less perfect recitation of others. Similarly, the royalty of kings like Bharata who ruled over the whole earth was perfect. About any one of them, nobody would say that he behaves like a king. Only about an imperfect king would one say sometimes to praise him that he behaves like a king. Similarly an imperfect Brāhmana would be compared to a perfect one like Vasiṣṭha.]
After having pointed out what is already taught by P. 5.1.115, what is already taught by P. 5.1.116 is now going to be stated.