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 2.449-450
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 2.449-450:
निवृत्तभेदा सर्वैव क्रियाऽऽख्यातेऽभिधीयते ।
श्रुतेरशक्या भेदानां प्रविभागप्रकल्पना ॥ ४४९ ॥
अश्वमेधेन यक्ष्यन्ते राजानः सत्रमास्ते ।
ब्राह्मणा इति नाख्यातरूपाद्भेदः प्रतीयते ॥ ४५० ॥nivṛttabhedā sarvaiva kriyā''khyāte'bhidhīyate |
śruteraśakyā bhedānāṃ pravibhāgaprakalpanā || 449 ||
aśvamedhena yakṣyante rājānaḥ satramāste |
brāhmaṇā iti nākhyātarūpādbhedaḥ pratīyate || 450 ||449. The verb always denotes an action without any inner variation. From the mere word, all the variations cannot be imagined.
450. In the sentences: ‘the kings will perform the aśvamedha sacrifice’, ‘the Brāhmaṇas are holding a sacrificial session’, the variations are not understood because of difference in the verb.
Commentary
[In 450, two distinct verbs are used: yakṣyante and sattraṃ āsate but it is not because of difference in the verbs that difference in the ritual is understood but because of inherent difference in the actions themselves (arthasāmarthyāt.)
Commenting on 449, the Vṛtti points out that variations in the action conveyed by the verb are brought about by differences in the sādhana, the accessories to action (sādhanabhedena tadbhedasya caritārthatvāt). The verb itself does not convey the variations. Commenting on 450, the Vṛtti, the text of which is doubtful in several places, points out a difference in the action denoted by yaj in yakṣyante and that denoted by ās in sattram āsate.]