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 2.469-471
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 2.469-471:
अत्यन्तभिन्नयोर्वा स्यात् प्रयोगस्तन्त्रलक्षणः ।
उपायस्तत्र संसर्गः प्रतिपत्तृषु भिद्यते ॥ ४६९ ॥
भेदेनावगतौ पूर्वं शब्दौ तुल्यश्रुती पुनः ।
तन्त्रेण प्रतिपत्तारं प्रयोक्त्रा प्रतिपादिताः ॥ ४७० ॥
एकस्यापि विवक्षायामनुनिष्पद्यते परः ।
विनाऽभिसंधिना शब्दः शक्तिरूपः प्रकाशते ॥ ४७१ ॥atyantabhinnayorvā syāt prayogastantralakṣaṇaḥ |
upāyastatra saṃsargaḥ pratipattṛṣu bhidyate || 469 ||
bhedenāvagatau pūrvaṃ śabdau tulyaśrutī punaḥ |
tantreṇa pratipattāraṃ prayoktrā pratipāditāḥ || 470 ||
ekasyāpi vivakṣāyāmanuniṣpadyate paraḥ |
vinā'bhisaṃdhinā śabdaḥ śaktirūpaḥ prakāśate || 471 ||469. Or it is a case of mentioning in a condensed form (through tantra) two separate words. The inter connection between the words differs according to the hearer.
470. What were two separate sentences having the same form have been used in a condensed form by the speaker for the benefit of the hearers.
471. Even if only one of the condensed sentences is meant by the speaker, the other (being of the same form) comes to the mind. Without any intention on the part of the speaker, the other comes to the mind as a power.
Commentary
[Read verse 469-470 above]
The views of the bhedavādin and the abhedavādin are now put differently.
[Read verse 471 above]
[The first half of the verse gives the view of the bhedavādin and the other half that of the abhedavādin.]
Another way of putting the view of the abhedavādin is. this.