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 3.14.404-405
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.14.404-405:
अन्यत्र वर्तमानं सद् भेदाभेदसमन्वितम् ।
निमित्तं पुनरन्यत्र नानात्वेनेव गृह्यते ॥ ४०४ ॥
आधारेषु पदन्यासं कृत्वोपैति तदाश्रयम् ।
स सादृश्यस्य विषय इत्यन्यैरपदिश्यते ॥ ४०५ ॥anyatra vartamānaṃ sad bhedābhedasamanvitam |
nimittaṃ punaranyatra nānātveneva gṛhyate || 404 ||
ādhāreṣu padanyāsaṃ kṛtvopaiti tadāśrayam |
sa sādṛśyasya viṣaya ityanyairapadiśyate || 405 ||404. The common attribute (nimitta) involving identity and difference, found in one object is observed in another object as being somewhat different.
405. It first relates to its substrata and then extends to the objects where the latter are found. Such is the scope of resemblance, so say others.
Commentary
Now the cognition of resemblance is going to be explained.
[Read verse 404-405 above]
[The quality of darkness (śyāmatva) which exists in the dark colour of śastrī is observed to exist in Devadattā’s dark colour also, but as something slightly different because of its different substratum. It is also perceived as being the same. It is the same and yet not the same: bhedābhedasamanvitam. The darkness exists in the dark colour and the latter exists in the object which is dark. The darkness first causes the perception of resemblance in the two dark colours and then in the two objects which are their substrata. The relation between darkness and the dark colour is samavāya and that between the object and darkness is samavetasamavāya. The relation of standard and object of comparison is between the two objects, the substrata of the dark colour. Thus, resemblance, consisting of difference and identity, is different from the universal which is entirely identity. Before, it was said that two substrata become upamāna and upameya, if they are partly alike and partly different. Now it is stated that two substances become standard and object of comparison through resemblance of their common attribute. The resemblance of the common attribute ends in the resemblance of the substrata.]