Verse 2.224

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 2.224:

यथा च खदिरच्छेदे भागेषु क्रमवांश्छिदिः ।
तथा द्वन्द्वपदार्थस्य भागेषु क्रमदर्शनम् ॥ २२४ ॥

yathā ca khadiracchede bhāgeṣu kramavāṃśchidiḥ |
tathā dvandvapadārthasya bhāgeṣu kramadarśanam || 224 ||

224. Just as, in regard to the cutting of a khadira tree, the action can proceed only gradually, part by part, in the same way, there is an order in the different parts of the meaning of a dvandva compound.

Commentary

From the sentence : dhavakhadirapalāśāś chidyantām, one understands just one meaning which cannot be divided and in which one cannot trace any sequence. If that is so, the cutting of all the trees would have to take place at the same time, which is impossible. This objection is now answered.

[Read verse 224 above]

[The idea is that order or sequence is necessary for worldly purposes but the words convey the indivisible sequenceless idea.

According to the Vṛtti, this verse is meant to answer the objection that if the individual word and its meaning did not exist one cannot explain how we do understand the meanings of the different terms of a dvandva compound in a certain sequence. The answer consists in comparing the process to that of carrying out an order to cut just one tree, say, a khadira. The cutting can be done only in a certain order, first the bark, then the inner trunk and so on. In the same way, the action enjoined in regard to the objects conveyed by a dvandva compound is carried out in a certain order though the compound does not mention any order.]

If only one among the above-mentioned trees is cut, we still consider that the order has been carried out. How to explain this if the meaning understood from a word has no parts in it? The answer is:—