Verse 1.96

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 1.96:

देशादिभिश्च संबन्धो दृष्टः कायवतामपि ।
देशभेदविकल्पेऽपि न भेदो ध्वनिशब्दयोः ॥ ९६ ॥

deśādibhiśca saṃbandho dṛṣṭaḥ kāyavatāmapi |
deśabhedavikalpe'pi na bhedo dhvaniśabdayoḥ || 96 ||

96. It is only material objects which are associated with particular places. Even when difference of place between sound and word is imagined, there is, in fact, no real difference.

Commentary

Another opposite view is now put forward: The word is not manifested, because of difference in location between the manifestor and the manifested). Jars and other objects are manifested by lamp etc. because they exist in the same locality. The word is found in a place other than where its manifestors, the contacts and separations of the vocal organs take piace.¹ This objection does not really hold good in the case of the sounds. Still, it is argued as follows—How is the word which is in one place manifested by the sounds which are in different places and very far from one another? This is answered as follows—To be in one place or to be in many places is a property of corporeal things. Even material objects like the sun, while being actually restricted to one place, are perceived as being in many places. Sound and word, both, incorporeal, are beyond the range of such expressions as location and located and, therefore, even though the misconception of difference of location takes place, really speaking, there is no difference between them in this respect.

Notes

1. The opponent’s idea is that the manifesting sounds exist in the vocal organs whose contacts and separations produce them, whereas the word exists in ether (ākāśa).