Verse 1.102

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 1.102:

यः संयोगविभागाभ्यां करणैरुपजन्यते ।
स स्फोटः शब्दजाः शब्दा ध्वनयोऽन्यैरुदाहृताः ॥ १०२ ॥

yaḥ saṃyogavibhāgābhyāṃ karaṇairupajanyate |
sa sphoṭaḥ śabdajāḥ śabdā dhvanayo'nyairudāhṛtāḥ || 102 ||

102. Others have declared that whatever is produced by the organs of articulation, through contacts and separations, is the sphoṭa; the sounds produced by this initial sound are the dhvanis,

Commentary

According to the view that the word is transitory, the first sound which is produced by the contacts and separations between the points and organs of articulation is the sphoṭa. Those which are produced by that first sound and spread in all directions carrying its reflection, are the dhvanis. All things are in themselves without parts, but the parts of their main associates are attributed to them. Similarly, ether (which is one) has no parts but division into parts due to relation with objects in contact with it, is attributed to it. That being so, because of proximity in the form of succession of parts and on account of uninterrupted succession of cause and effect, those elements which have progressively diminishing power of reflecting the previous sounds are similar to the forms illuminated by dim light, gradually disappear and cause division in the phoneme, are called sounds. According to the view of eternality, the sphoṭa is manifested by sounds produced by contacts and separations. According to some it is manifested by the resonance¹ produced by the sounds caused by contacts and separations. Sounds, on the other hand, are those which favour the cognition of the sphoṭa have progressively diminishing power of manifestation, cause the distinction of the speeds quick etc. and gradually disappear.

Notes

[1. Dhvani and nāda. Here also, as in the Vṛtti on verse 47, a distinction is made between dhvani and nāda. The latter is produced by the former. This distinction is mentioned in the course of the exposition of the views of those who held the sphoṭa to be the one indivisible word (śabdavyakti) as distinct from those who held it to be the Universal According to Vṛṣabha, the sounds produced by contacts and separations produce a resonance (nāda) which manifests the sphoṭa. The sounds produced by the first sound are the cause of the continued cognition of the sphoṭa or of the speed of utterance which is only another way of looking at the same thing. See note 1 on verse 47.]