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 3.14.615
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 3.14.615:
चञ्चत्प्रकारश्चञ्चत्को बृहत्क इति चापरे ।
मणिमण्डूकखद्योतान् सादृश्येन प्रचक्षते ॥ ६१५ ॥cañcatprakāraścañcatko bṛhatka iti cāpare |
maṇimaṇḍūkakhadyotān sādṛśyena pracakṣate || 615 ||615. Others have declared that the words cañcatka = ‘like what is moving’, bṛhatka = ‘like what is big’ refer, through resemblance, to a precious stone, or a frog or a fire-fly.
Commentary
[As the meaning of iva is being considered in connection, with the standard of comparison, another matter is now explained. P. 5.4.3. teaches the suffix kan after the words sthūla etc. when prakāra is to be expressed. In that connection, there is the vārttika: cañcadbṛhator upasaṃkhyānam, which means that cañcat and bṛhat must also be included among the words to which kan is to be added in the sense of prakāra. The words formed would be cañcatka and bṛhatka. What they mean is. this: The word prakāra in the sūtra means resemblance. So the word cañcatka means: “moving like”. That which is not moving; but looks like moving is called cañcatka. Similarly, that which is not big but looks like big is called bṛhatka. A precious stone in clear shaking water looks as though it shakes.]