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 3.3.23
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.3.23:
न हि संशयरूपेऽर्थे शेषत्वेन व्यवस्थिते ।
अव्युदासे स्वरूपस्य संशयोऽन्यः प्रवर्तते ॥ २३ ॥na hi saṃśayarūpe'rthe śeṣatvena vyavasthite |
avyudāse svarūpasya saṃśayo'nyaḥ pravartate || 23 ||23. When knowledge in the form of doubt has assumed the form of śeṣa (meant for something else), it cannot become the object of another doubt without losing its original form.
Commentary
The author now answers the casuistry employed by the Naiyāyīka by giving an example.
[Read verse 23 above]
[When the particular form of a thing like a post is not perceived, a doubt arises: is this a post or a human being? This cognition in the form of a doubt is chiefly concerned with finding out the true nature of the object which figures in it. Just at that time, another doubt, doubting this very doubt, cannot arise. The first doubt is concerned with finding out the nature of the object. Just at that time, it cannot become the object of another doubt. If it does, it would lose its former condition of being a doubt. As a doubt, it was viṣayin and as the object of another doubt, it would become viṣaya and one and the same thing cannot become viṣaya and viṣayin at the same time.]
The author now gives another example.