Verse 1.129

Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 1.129:

अत्यन्तमतथाभूते निमित्ते श्रुत्युपाश्रयात् ।
दृश्यतेऽलातचक्रादौ वस्त्वाकार निरूपणा ॥ १२९ ॥

atyantamatathābhūte nimitte śrutyupāśrayāt |
dṛśyate'lātacakrādau vastvākāra nirūpaṇā || 129 ||

129. In the case of a thing like ‘a circle of fire’ (alātacakra) where the circumstance is totally different, merely by the force of the word, its form clearly figures in the mind.

Commentary

It is the audible word which shows all meaning as residing in its own form, the word. It seems to create that meaning as it were. It always exists in it as something to be conveyed by it. The word is not concerned as to whether the object in question has real existence outside or not, nor whether there has been a mistake or not. Even in the case of a circle of fire, the presence of a word which bears resemblance to the one which denotes an action consisting of spreading in all directions creates a meaning for practical words like alātacakra (circle of fire). The form of the object so fictitiously created becomes conventionalised, even in the face of strong inference to the contrary. In the case of objects like a hare’s horn definitely known not to exist, it is the audible word which creates or rather brings the idea thereof to the mind and binds it to its own form. So also in the case of objects which are accessible to the senses (pratykṣān). A meaning whether it has an external basis or not, is always present in the word, as the thing to be expressed by it. (Whether the object exists outside or not) in every individual, following the impressions of his previous experience and according to his knowledge, meanings of different kinds are understood from words.