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 2.210
Sanskrit text, Unicode transliteration and English translation of verse 2.210:
शास्त्रार्थ एव वर्णानामर्थवच्वे प्रदर्शितः ।
धात्वादीनां विशुद्धानां लौकिकोऽर्थो न विद्यते ॥ २१० ॥śāstrārtha eva varṇānāmarthavacve pradarśitaḥ |
dhātvādīnāṃ viśuddhānāṃ laukiko'rtho na vidyate || 210 ||210. It is only a meaning current in the Science of Grammar which is shown to prove that phonemes are meaningful. Pure roots, stems etc. have no recognised meaning in the world.
Commentary
[The vārttika: Arthavanto varṇā dhātuprātipadikapratyayanipātānām ekavarṇānām arthadarśanāṭ (Vā. 9. M.Bhā. I. p.30, 1.2.) is considered here. The question whether single phonemes have a meaning or not is considered in the M.Bhā on the pratyāhāra sūtra: ha-ya-va-raṭ. The conclusion reached there is that they have a meaning only when they happen to be roots, stems, suffixes or particles. Even this meaning is obtained by the analysis practised in the Śāstra. It is not seen in the world.]