6.1. Date of Bhartṛhari (The Philosopher Linguist)

Bhartṛhari is considered as an outstanding figure in the history of Indian linguistic thought. He led Grammar into philosophy proper, by making a case for Vyākaraṇa as a darśana, a view about ultimate things, eventually about liberation. Gaurinath Sastri therefore aptly refers to his work as an "astoundingly original system of thought which to the best of my knowledge has no parallel" (Introduction, 1959, p.xxiv). Vākyapadīya became the most extensive work in the medieval period which represented the most fruitful epoch of Indian thought. Bhartṛhari was also the major architect of Sphoṭa theory, which is regularly identified as the contribution of grammarians to the philosophical problem of meaning. His linguistic philosophy is to be considered as unique and singular among the linguistic thoughts in India.

Although Bhartṛhari is a renowned grammarian, philosopher and author in Sanskrit literature, we have very little information about his personal life and date. There are references of many Bhs and one may find different traditions about him in different places. Bhaṭṭi, the author of the grammatical poem Bhaṭṭikāvya, was also known as Bhartṛhari. There are references to another Bhartṛhari, who was the ruler of Malwa, in Tārānātha's History of Buddhism. He also mentions a Bhartṛhari who was intimately connected to the King and one of the nine great siddhas of the Nāthapanthīya religious order. But neither the King nor the siddha is known to have been a poet (K V Sharma, Introduction, 1969, p.8). One of the traditions says that, Bhartṛhari was the youngest son of a Brahmin who had four wives from four different casts and that Bhartṛhari was the son of śūdra wife. Another tradition says that Bhartṛhari was a king, perhaps a brother of either Vikramāditya or Śūdraka, who gave up his worldly life and became a sannyāsin. Bhartṛhari's life has been dramatized by Harihara in his Bhartṛharinirveda. In this story, Bhartṛhari is portrayed as a student of Gorakṣānātha, from whom he learns Yoga and renounces the world (Coward, 1980, p.11). However, these traditions cannot be taken as evidence to fix the date of Bhartṛhari. Since he had commented upon the Mahābhāṣya of Patañjali (150 BCE), the date of Mahābhāṣya can be taken as the upper limit.

His major work Vākyapadīya is referred to by Vāmana and Jayāditya in Kāśikāvṛtti (650 CE).

adhikṛtya kṛte granthe, (Pāṇini, 4.3.87). śiśukrandayamasabhadvandvendrajananādibhiśchaḥ, (Pāṇini, 4.3.88). taditi vartate. adhikṛtya kṛte granthe iti ca. dvandvāt (dvitīyāsamarthāt) chaḥ pratyayo bhavati adhikṛtya kṛte granthe. śabdārtasambandhīyam prakaraṇam. Vākyapadīyam." (Under Pāṇini, 4.3.87-88)

Hence Bhartṛhari can be placed within the limits 150 BCE-650 CE. Much of the evidence regarding his date supports him being placed nearer to the latter date. I-tsing, the Chinese traveller and a Buddhist, who studied at the Nalanda monastery in 670 CE, reported Bhartṛhari died forty years earlier. If this report is accepted as authentic, Bhartṛhari probably died in 630 CE. But I-tsing also reported that Bhartṛhari was a contemporary of Dharmapāla, who lived from 530 to 561 CE. Here it can be noted that I-tsing's opinions are self contradictory and unacceptable. More reliable evidence can be seen in the Tibetan translation of Traikālya Parīkṣā of the famous Buddhist author Diṅnāga. He quotes two verses from the Svopajñavṛtti (hereafter Vṛtti) of Vākyapadīya. This evidently says that Bhartṛhari must have preceded Diṅnāga, who flourished between 480-540 CE. Some autobiographical references can be seen at the end of the second kāṇḍa of Vākyapadīya, where he mentions his teacher with great respect (2. 478-487). Puṇyarāja, in his commentary, makes it clear that it is Vasurāta, the teacher of Bhartṛhari (Vākyapadīya, 2.481). The Tibetan translations of Diṅnāga and some works of a Jaina writer Simhasūrigaṇi suggest that Vasurāta was a Brahmin and a brother-in-law of Bālāditya, a pupil of the great Buddhist scholar Vasubandhu, whose date is fixed as 400 CE (Coward, 1980, p.11).

We can collect as many references supporting the latter date limit of Bhartṛhari. In Śatapathabrāhmaṇa, while commenting on the portion 'vāgvā anuṣṭub, vāco vā idam sarvam prabhavati' (1-3-2-16),

Hariswāmi quotes two verses from Vākyapadīya as follows.

vāco vā ityādi. vācaḥ śabdasya sakāśāt 'idam' sarvamarthajātaṃ prabhavati. ata eva jagataḥ śabdavivartamāhuḥ. tadyathā-

anādinidhanaṃ brahma śabdatattvaṃ yadakṣaram vivartate' rthabhāvena prakriyā jagato yataḥ. iti.
tathānyatrāpi śabdavedhāt tatkāryatvam arthasyoktam-na so' sti pratyayo loke yaḥ śābdānugamādṛte
anuviddhamiva jñānaṃ sarvaṃ śabdena bhāsate. iti. " (1-3-2-16)

Hariswāmi was evidently lived in the sixth century CE. Another important reference that historians point out is that of Kumārilabhaṭṭa who flourished in the fifth century CE. He quotes several verses of Vākyapadīya in his famous work Tantravārtika. In the light of all these discussions, it may be deduced that the date of Bhartṛhari can be fixed between 450 -500 CE.