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 2.472-473
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 2.472-473:
अनेकशक्तिरेकस्य युगपच्छ्रीयते क्वचित् ।
अग्निः प्रकाशदाहाभ्यामेकत्रापि नियुज्यते ॥ ४७२ ॥
आवृत्तिशक्तिभिन्नार्थे वाक्ये सकृदपि श्रुते ।
लिङ्गाद्वा तन्त्रधर्माद्वा विभागेनावतिष्ठते ॥ ४७३ ॥anekaśaktirekasya yugapacchrīyate kvacit |
agniḥ prakāśadāhābhyāmekatrāpi niyujyate || 472 ||
āvṛttiśaktibhinnārthe vākye sakṛdapi śrute |
liṅgādvā tantradharmādvā vibhāgenāvatiṣṭhate || 473 ||472. Sometimes, both the powers of the word are utilised at the same time just as fire is used sometimes both for its heat and for its light.
473. The sentence, heard only once but having more than one meaning, either through repetition of the sentence or through more than one power, presents itself as more than one (vibhāgena) either through liṅga or through tantra.
Commentary
Another way of putting the view of the abhedavādin is. this.
[Read verse 472 above]
It is now shown that the same thing happens in the śāstra also.
[Read verse 473 above]
[According to the bhedavādins it presents itself as more than one through liṅga and according to the abhedavādins it presents itself as more than one through tantradharma, that is, through its multiplicity of powers.]
An example is now given.