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 3.7.8
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.7.8:
स्वतन्त्रपरतन्त्रत्वे क्रमरूपं च दर्शितम् ।
निरीहेष्ववि भावेषु कल्पनोपनिबन्धनम् ॥ ८ ॥svatantraparatantratve kramarūpaṃ ca darśitam |
nirīheṣvavi bhāveṣu kalpanopanibandhanam || 8 ||8. It has been shown that independence and dependence and sequence of objects which are devoid of all movement are based on mental construction (kalpanopanibandhanam [kalpana-upanibandhana]).
Commentary
[It is not only the object (karma) called nirvartya (to be made, brought about) which thus becomes the ‘means’ by figuring in the mind of the person who is going to make it. The vikārya (to be modified) and prāpya (to be reached) kinds of objects (karma) are also in the same position. The causal relation has previously been shown to be a mere mental construct. All things in the world are devoid of motion or activity. Certain things appear to be intimately connected with the action and others seem to be remotely so. Some appear to be agents (karta) and others present themselves as objects (karma). All this is really illusion. The whole of what is called ‘kiryākārakabhāva’ is really an illusion. For Advaita, all except the ultimate Reality is an illusion. All verbal usage is based on ‘vikalpa’ which is only a mental construct. What was said earlier about Dik applies to sādhana also. It is a wonderful thing only as long as we do not reflect upon it.]
Thus the idea of ‘sādhana’ as a power distinct from the thing in which it resides has been explained. Now it is going to be explained as a power not distinct from the thing itself.