Introduction—Sphoṭavāda (the theory of sphoṭa)

Sphoṭavāda (the theory of sphoṭa) is the first view regarding śābdabodha in the Tattvabindu. It is one of the most valuable contributions of the Indian thinkers to the central problem of semantics in general linguistics. The theory of sphoṭa is advocated by the Grammarians. According to this theory, a word or a sentence is to be considered not as a link made up of different sound units arranged in a particular order, but mainly as a single meaningful symbol (a linguistic sign). The word or the sentence thus considered as a single meaningful symbol is called sphoṭa.

Generally, words are used to convey meanings. A word in common parlance is not anything but the sum-total of a few letters and a sentence which is usually held to be unit of our thoughts and expressions, is an aggregate of a few words. On a careful and scientific analysis however, it appears that a combination of letters forming a word and, likewise, a combination of words forming a sentence is never possible. Life of letters is only of short duration as they disappear in the next moment after they are pronounced. And, as a combination of objects is possible only in the case of their coexistence, it is not understood how an aggregate of a few letters making up a word or that of some words forming a sentence is obtainable. The Naiyāyikas who believe in the non-eternal character of letters and the Mīmāṃsakas who are advocates of their eternal character have in their own ways attempt to return suitable answers to the objections raised in this regard. But, it is worthy of notice that the grammarians do not find them suitable for acceptance. They advance a theory strikingly original to claim that both word and meaning are indivisible units. The indivisible unit of expressions is called sphoṭa and the indivisible unit of meaning is also called sphoṭa or pratibhā. The grammarians do not believe that a word is divisible into letters or a sentence is divisible into words. Likewise, they do not believe that the meaning of a sentence is the sum-total of the meaning of words which are ordinarily described as its parts.

This theory of sphoṭa was fully developed and systematized by the great grammarian-philosopher Bhartṛhari in his Vākyapadīya; but some of the ideas underlying this theory can be found even in earlier grammatical and philosophical literature. It is in the Mahābhāṣya of Patañjali that the first mention of the term sphoṭa occurs.^[1]