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 1.108-109
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 1.108-109:
लब्धक्रियः प्रयत्नेन वक्तुरिच्छानुवर्तिना ।
स्थानेष्वभिहतो वायुः शब्दत्वं प्रतिपद्यते ॥ १०८ ॥
तस्य कारणसामर्थ्याद्वेगप्रचयधर्मणः ।
सन्निपाताद्विभज्यन्ते सारवत्योऽपि मूर्तयः ॥ १०९ ॥labdhakriyaḥ prayatnena vakturicchānuvartinā |
sthāneṣvabhihato vāyuḥ śabdatvaṃ pratipadyate || 108 ||
tasya kāraṇasāmarthyādvegapracayadharmaṇaḥ |
sannipātādvibhajyante sāravatyo'pi mūrtayaḥ || 109 ||108. The air set in motion by the effort corresponding to the desire of the speaker, strikes at the different places of articulation and is transformed into sounds.
109. By the impact caused by the force of the original cause (the effort) even the solid forms of air which has speed and solidity are diversified.1
Commentary
This and similar views must be understood.
Notes
1. Vṛṣabha understands that the air brings about the contacts and separations of the places and organs of articulation which are solid (sāravatyaḥ). The translation connects ‘sāravatyo'pi mūrttayaḥ’ with ‘tasya’ = of the air.]
Others have accepted that it is the atoms which become the word. They have declared as follows—
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