Vakyapadiya (study of the concept of Sentence)
by Sarath P. Nath | 2018 | 36,088 words
This page relates ‘Requisites for Understanding the Sentence-Meaning (introduction)’ of the study on Vakyapadiya by Bhartrhari and his treatment of the Concept of Sentence in Language. Bhartrhari was a great grammarian and philosopher who explored the depth and breadth of Sanskrit grammar. These pages analyse the concepts and discussions on sentence and sentence-meaning presented in the Vakyapadiya, against the different systems of knowledge prevalent in ancient India (such as Mimamsa, Nyaya and Vyakarana).
6. Requisites for Understanding the Sentence-Meaning (introduction)
It is already discussed that śabdabodha is the term used by Indian Linguists to map the process of cognition of sentence meaning. In the Sakhaṇḍa School, the sentence is an aggregate of its parts which are syntactically connected (sākāṅkṣam).
The knowledge of this syntactic unity of sentence is mainly due to:
- ākāṅkṣā or the mutual expectancy of words,
- yogyatā (congruity or consistency of the meaning) and
- āsatti or sannidhi (proximity) of words.
These three inevitable conditions for the understanding of sentence-meaning were first introduced by the Mīmāṃsākas.
ākāṅkṣā sannidhānam ca yogyatā ceti ca trayam
saṃbandhakāraṇatvena kḷptaṃ nānantaraśrutiḥ.
—(Tantravārtika, 1984, p.455)
Later, these concepts were taken up by almost all the other systems of knowledge in the Sakhaṇḍa School of sentence, with slight changes. In addition to these three, a fourth condition known as tātparyajñāna, was also introduced.
It is the intention of the speaker or the general purport of the sentence.
It can be concluded that almost all Schools of Indian thought have recognized the importance of knowing the speaker's intention in understanding the speech. Speech is mainly purposive in nature and can do its function only if the listener understands the intention of the speaker. At the same time, language is accepted as an objective instrument of communication and thus, it must be independent of personal inclinations of the speaker.