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 1.89
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 1.89:
यथैव दर्शनैः पूर्वैर्दूरात् सन्तमसेऽपि वा ।
अन्यथाकृत्य विषयमन्यथैवाध्यवस्यति ॥ ८९ ॥yathaiva darśanaiḥ pūrvairdūrāt santamase'pi vā |
anyathākṛtya viṣayamanyathaivādhyavasyati || 89 ||89. Just as, from a distance or in the dark, after having mistaken an object in the previous cognitions, one sees it correctly,
Commentary
It is in accordance with the properties of objects and the senses that people of ordinary vision, perceiving from a distance, only the general shape, mistake trees etc. for elephants etc. Staying in the same place, by steady concentration, gradually, they perceive their special features. Entering suddenly dimly lighted rooms from a well-lighted place and after having mistaken rope etc. for snake etc. they, once their eyesight has become normal, through steady concentration, perceive them as they are.1
Notes
1. Cf. Sphoṭāsiddhi [Sphoṭasiddhi?], verse 19 and the commentary thereon. It is an echo of this verse and the Vṛtti thereon. This and the following verse are actually quoted there (p. 143.)