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 2.380-382
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 2.380-382:
लक्षणार्था स्तुतिर्येषां कञ्चिदेव क्रियां प्रति ।
तैर्व्यस्तैश्च समस्तैश्च स धर्म उपलक्ष्यते ॥ ३८० ॥
वृषलैर्न प्रवृष्टव्यमित्येतस्मिन् गृहे यथा ।
प्रत्यकं संहतानां च प्रवेशः प्रतिषिध्यते ॥ ३८१ ॥
सम्भूय त्वर्थलिप्सादिप्रतिषेधोपपादने ।
पृथगप्रतिषिद्धत्वात् प्रवृत्तिर्न विरुध्यते ॥ ३८२ ॥lakṣaṇārthā stutiryeṣāṃ kañcideva kriyāṃ prati |
tairvyastaiśca samastaiśca sa dharma upalakṣyate || 380 ||
vṛṣalairna pravṛṣṭavyamityetasmin gṛhe yathā |
pratyakaṃ saṃhatānāṃ ca praveśaḥ pratiṣidhyate || 381 ||
sambhūya tvarthalipsādipratiṣedhopapādane |
pṛthagapratiṣiddhatvāt pravṛttirna virudhyate || 382 ||380. When a word standing for a certain property denotes many things in relation to a certain action, it does so severally and collectively.
381. According to the order: Śūdras should not enter this house, their entrance is prohibited severally and collectively.
382. When a collective prohibition in regard to earning and the like is expressed, merely because the prohibition is not stated severally, its application severally is not contradictory.
Commentary
It is now stated that sometimes the meaning of a sentence is applied to the whole as well as the parts.
[Read verse 380-381 above]
The same idea is now expressed differently.
[Read verse 382 above]
[What is pointed out is that the use of the singular or the plural number in prohibitory orders is accidental. In either case it can apply severally or collectively.
The Vṛtti points out that when the prohibition is collective, it is the collection or the group which is the object of the prohibition. As to the individuals, it is left to them to do what they like... Saṃhananātmadharmasya śrutyā prakrāntatvāt saṅghāta eva lipsatikriyāsādhanabhāvena pratisiddhyate. Pratyekaṃ tu kāmacāraḥ.]
An illustration from the śāstra is now given.