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 2.267
transliteration and English translation of verse 2.267:
स्वार्थे प्रवर्तमानस्य यस्यार्थं योऽवलम्बते ।
निमित्तं तत्र मुख्यं स्याद् निमित्ती गौण इष्यते ॥ २६७ ॥svārthe pravartamānasya yasyārthaṃ yo'valambate |
nimittaṃ tatra mukhyaṃ syād nimittī gauṇa iṣyate || 267 ||267. In a case where a word takes its chief meaning as the basis for application (to another object) the chief meaning is the cause and the secondary one the effect.
Commentary
[That meaning is the primary one to which the word can be applied without any impediment or hitch. That meaning is secondary to which the word is applied after some incompatibility is felt. When the word go is applied to a vāhīka, there is first incompatibility but it becomes alright when gotva is attributed to the vāhīka. This is arthopacāra. This takes place when the word go is supposed to be the same in both cases. Though the same, it is looked upon as different on the basis of śaktibheda and so it is alright.
The Vṛtti here concludes by saying that when a word conveys a meaning on the basis of its form only, without depending on the context or some other word, it is said to be primary in regard to that meaning. If it does depend upon these other factors, it is said to be secondary.]
The author now points out the difficulty in trying to take purpose or context as the guide for determining what is primary and what is secondary.