7.2 Pratibhā and the Sentence Sphoṭa

[Full title: 7. The Concept of Pratibhā and its Implications, (2): Pratibhā and the Sentence Sphoṭa]

As discussed, Bhartṛhari's whole theory of language act is firmly rooted in three basic concepts of language, namely dhvani, sphoṭa and Pratibhā. These are three different levels of language, which are interconnected to complete a language act. Among the definitions of sentence mentioned in Vākyapadīya, Bhartṛhari gives emphasis to the definitions held by those, who believe in the indivisibility theory of the sentence. In their perspective, sentence is defined as sentence-sphoṭa and sentence-meaning is Pratibhā. Thus it is clear that sentence-sphoṭa and sentence-meaning Pratibhā are two distinct concepts coined by Bhartṛhari. Sphoṭa can be taken as an auditory impression manifested by articulated sounds or dhvani whereas Pratibhā refers to the meaning conveyed by the sentence. Meaning is understood only after the auditory perception of sound. Thus Pratibhā is aroused only after the sphoṭa is manifested.

Different opinions are held by scholars in this regard. Scholars like J. Brough, Kunjunni Raja and KAS Iyer argue that sphoṭa is the linguistic sign in its aspect of meaning-bearer. According to them, sphoṭa is not a mystic entity as suggested by A B Keith (1928, p.387), but they consider the sphoṭa doctrine as the theory of language-symbolism. This concept of sphoṭa explains the problem of how language is grasped in a verbal communication. But the problem of meaning of the sentence is yet to be unravelled. They maintain that sphoṭa in general and sentence-sphoṭa in particular has been assumed as a solution to this problem. On the contrary they opine that Pratibhā as a flash of understanding is the sentencemeaning. These two arguments are self-contradictory. Here what Matilal remarks, seems to be more agreeable. To quote him

For Bhartṛhari, however, this is a wrong term: 'meaning-bearing unit'. Sphoṭa is the real substratum, proper linguistic unit, which is identical also with its meaning. Language is not the vehicle of meaning or the conveyor-belt of thought. Thought anchors language and language anchors thought. śabdanā or 'languageing', is thinking; and thought vibrates through language. In this way of looking at things, there cannot be any essential difference between a linguistic unit and its meaning or the thought it conveys. Sphoṭa refers to this non differentiated language-principle. Thus I believe that it is sometimes even incorrect to ask whether sphoṭa is or is not the meaning-bearing speech unit in Bhartṛhari's system (1992, p.85).

If the sphoṭa theory arose as a solution to the problem of understanding language, Bhartṛhari would not have introduced the concept of Pratibhā as sentence-meaning. Thus, it can be comprehended that Bhartṛhari puts forth the concept of sentence-sphoṭa, which explains the language principle so as to how language is used and grasped. While, the concept of Pratibhā is introduced to solve the problem of how language is understood (Gayatri Rath, 2000, p.164-165). The auditory impressions are transformed into meaning in the mind by the virtue of Pratibhā.