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 1.116
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 1.116:
अजस्रवृत्तिर्यः शब्दः सूक्ष्मत्वान्नोपलभ्यते ।
व्यजनाद्वायुरिव स स्वनिमित्तात् प्रचीयते ॥ ११६ ॥ajasravṛttiryaḥ śabdaḥ sūkṣmatvānnopalabhyate |
vyajanādvāyuriva sa svanimittāt pracīyate || 116 ||116. The eternal word which, being fine, is not perceived by the ear, becomes perceptible through its own cause, as the air by fanning.
Commentary
Now another tradition1 is being recorded. There is subtle sound within and without all embodied objects like masses of fine air. According to some, it is understood as ether. Just as, even though atoms of air exist everywhere, it is only when, due to the impact of the fan,2 they are dislodged from their place, that they become endowed with action, in the same way, sound, when given a gross modified form by its manifesting causes, reaches the region of the ear and perfects it.
Notes
1. According to Vṛṣabha, this tradition is also current among the authors of the Śikṣās.
2. Both in the Kārikā and in the Vṛtti, Pt. Charu Deva Shastri’s edition has Vyañjana. But the context requires Vyajana and it is actually found in the manuscript ‘S’, used for our edition of Vākyapadīya Kāṇḍa I. So that reading has been adopted.