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 3.7.42
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.7.42:
कालविच्छेदरूपेण तदेवैकमवस्थितम् ।
स ह्यपूर्वापरो भागः पररूपेण लक्ष्यते ॥ ४२ ॥kālavicchedarūpeṇa tadevaikamavasthitam |
sa hyapūrvāparo bhāgaḥ pararūpeṇa lakṣyate || 42 ||42. That One Reality shines with the divisions of Time. It is an entity without priority and posteriority, but shines as having sequence.
Commentary
After having stated that it is the One Reality which manifests itself as the great Elements (Mahābhūta) and the Directions (Dik), it is now stated that it manifests itself as Time also.
[Read verse 42 above]
Remarks. The second line should read: sa hy apūrvāparo bhāvaḥ kramarupeṇa [kramarūpeṇa?] lakṣyate.
[This One Reality is without any inner temporal differentiation. But due to kālaśakti, things appear to have temporal sequence.
To sum up the discussion in the foregoing verses: following worldly usage, for the grammarians, what is called ‘means’ (sādhana) is a certain power existing in things. According to the vijñānavādins, it is a mere construction of the mind. According to the Mīmāṃsakas, it is an invisible force (adṛṣṭa) called ‘apūrva’. According to Saṃsargavāda (Vaiśeṣika), it exists in a thing, but is different from it. According to Advaitins, it is the power of Brahman called Time. According to the Sāṅkhyas, it is rajas, activity, one of the three qualities existing in all things. According to those who look upon time as an eternal substance, it is that.
While considering the nature of sādhana (means), the meaning of the word kāraka was discussed and that led to an explanation of the difference between hetu, lakṣaṇa, tādarthya, karaṇa and kāraka. Then the question arose as to whether ‘power’ precedes or follows action or is produced at the same time as action. Next the point whether power is one or many was discussed. And lastly the question whether it was identical with or different from its substratum was discussed. All that led to a statement of the nature of Brahman.]
As a preliminary to the establishment of difference, the author now shows the existence of ‘power’.