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 2.366
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 2.366:
संज्ञास्वरूपमाश्रित्य निमित्ते सति लौकिकी ।
काचित् प्रवर्तते काचिन्निमित्तासंनिधावपि ॥ ३६६ ॥saṃjñāsvarūpamāśritya nimitte sati laukikī |
kācit pravartate kācinnimittāsaṃnidhāvapi || 366 ||366. A name is given on the basis of its own form, sometimes when there is some circumstance in the object corresponding to the form and sometimes when there is not.
Commentary
Something is now said about the two kinds of names.
[Read verse 366 above]
[Both in the world and in the śāstra names are given mainly on the basis of their form. Sometimes, a name is said to be anvartha when there is some circumstance in the object corresponding to the form of the name as when a person who is good at destroying his enemy is called śatrughna. But there is no need for it: for example, the name Ḍittha in the world and the names ti, ghu, bhā etc. in the śāstra.
Not only small names consisting of just one syllable but also big names are given in the śāstra on the basis of form only.