Meaning of meaning
Vakyapadiya of Bhartrihari by K. A. Subramania Iyer | 1965 |
Hinduism Linguistics Vyakarana 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...
Verse 2.275-277
नियताः साधनत्वेन रूपशक्तिसमन्विताः ।
यथा कर्मसु गम्यन्ते सीरासिमुसलादयः ॥ २७५ ॥
क्रियान्तरेण चैतेषां भवन्ति नहि शक्त्यः ।
रूपादेव तु तादर्थ्यं नियमेन प्रतीयते ॥ २७६ ॥
तथैव रूपशक्तिभ्यामुत्पच्या समवस्थितः ।
शब्दो नियततादर्थ्यः शक्त्याऽन्यत्र प्रयुज्यते ॥ २७७ ॥
niyatāḥ sādhanatvena rūpaśaktisamanvitāḥ |
yathā karmasu gamyante sīrāsimusalādayaḥ || 275 ||
kriyāntareṇa caiteṣāṃ bhavanti nahi śaktyaḥ |
rūpādeva tu tādarthyaṃ niyamena pratīyate || 276 ||
tathaiva rūpaśaktibhyāmutpacyā samavasthitaḥ |
śabdo niyatatādarthyaḥ śaktyā'nyatra prayujyate || 277 ||
275. Just as a plough or a sword or a pestle, being endowed with a
particular shape and power, is understood as the fixed accessory (sādhana)
of a particular action, (276) (just as) these things have no power
connecting them with other actions but are invariably understood as meant
for the performance of particular actions because of their shape, (277) in
the same way, a word endowed with a form and power from the very beginning
has its purpose fixed. Through some power, it can also be applied to other
things.
SO MEANING OF THE MEANING MUST BE SO PURPOSEFUL.
The Concept of Pratibhā and its Implications, (1):
Pratibhā and Vāk]
The whole second canto of Vākyapadīya highlights the semantic nature of
Pratibhā, which has been discussed in detail. But Bhartṛhari treated the
concept beyond its linguistic characteristics. He revealed the philosophic
as well as psychological outlook of this concept. Bhartṛhari explains the
process of cognising the meaning in a language act in two perspectives. He
analyses the speech act both from the points of view of the speaker and the
hearer. To him, a linguistic communication can be said complete when the
speaker expresses his intention through sounds and the hearer understands
what the speaker intends to mean. In this context, what K A S Iyer remarks,
is relevant. He puts forth the view that Bhartṛhari perceives Pratibhā from
two different dimensions i.e. from the point of view of the speaker's
experience before utterance and that of the hearer's experience after
hearing the utterance. When Pratibhā is analysed from the hearer's point of
view, it is a linguistic entity, which gives rise to the cognition of the
sentence-meaning. Pratibhā transforms the sentence heard into meaning. This
explains the semantic feature of Pratibhā, where the sentence-meaning
shines forth as a flash. When it is analysed from the speaker's angle,
Pratibhā precedes the utterance. Here, Pratibhā is not conceived in the
form of any language and thus the units of language, either in the form of
sentence or words are not important. Coward identifies this state of
Pratibhā with Paśyantī stage of Vāk, after which, comes the utterance
(1980, p.14-15). TheVṛtti also points to this aspect of Pratibhā
(Vākyapadīya, 1.14).
According to Bhartṛhari, the speech principle Vāk has three stages in the
course of its manifestation viz. paśyantī, madhyamā and vaikharī (Vākyapadīya,
1.144, citation). Later grammarians like Nāgeśa and Kaundabhaṭṭa adds
another division known as parā to this list. This fourfold classification
of speech principle is developed in Tantraśāstra and the Pratyabhijñā
School of philosophy. According to Bhartṛhari, parā and paśyantī are
identical. Gaurinath Sastri argues that Bhartṛhari accepts no stage higher
than paśyantī (See Gowrinath Sastri, 1959, chs.1-4). Among these three
stages, Vaikharī form of speech is the first level of speech act, which is
called as dhvani. This is the physical sound that which is really heard by
the sense of hearing and can be differentiated as phonemes, words and
sentences. This word is sequential in nature and all the peculiarities of
speaker are also present in this state. As the name indicates, madhyamā
form of speech is an 'intermediate' as it lies in between vaikharī and
paśyantī. The language and the thought conveyed by it are undifferentiated
in this state. Bhartṛhari says that it is located in the buddhi and is
accompanied by prāṇa (breath). Thus it is psychological in its nature and
can be comprehended by the intellect (Vākyapadīya, 1.144). This corresponds
to Prākṛtadhvani described in the first chapter of Vākyapadīya. The third
and supreme stage paśyantī is the śabdabrahman, which is explicated in the
opening verse of Vākyapadīya. This purest as well as subtlest form of śabda
is abstract in nature and has no sequence. It is indivisible and beyond
worldly use. This has been identified with Pratibhā, the flash of insight.
Vṛṣabhadeva expounds this form of Vāk in his Paddhati, an ancient
commentary of Vākyapadīya as:—comm. on Vākyapadīya, 1.14 reads as follows.
"Pratibhām iti -yeyaṃ samastaśabdārthakāraṇabhūtā buddiḥ, yaṃ
paśyantītyāhuḥ, yataḥ śabdāḥ prāṇavṛttim anupatanti, tam anuparā iti
anugacchati"
—(Vākyapadīya, 1.14).
K RAJARAM IRS 22725
On Tue, 22 Jul 2025 at 05:55, Markendeya Yeddanapudi <
[email protected]> wrote:
>
>
> --
> *Mar*Thank you for sharing your thoughtful and philosophical essay, Mr.
> Sarma. It's admirable that you're engaging with deep conceptual and
> existential questions at the age of 88. Below is a *numerical evaluation*
> of your essay, followed by a brief *critique* based on standard
> essay-assessment criteria, such as *clarity, coherence, originality,
> structure, argumentation, and language*.
> ------------------------------
> 📊 Numerical Evaluation (Out of 100):
> *Criteria* *Score*
> *Originality of Ideas* 20/20
> *Depth of Thought* 18/20
> *Coherence & Structure* 12/20
> *Clarity of Expression* 10/20
> *Language & Style* 13/20
> *Total* *73/100*
> ------------------------------
> ✍️ Feedback: ✅ Strengths:
>
> -
>
> *Original and profound*: The essay reflects deep contemplation about
> the nature of meaning, the role of personal experience, and the impact of
> technology and science.
> -
>
> *Philosophically rich*: The connections to quantum physics,
> consciousness, and language evolution are intellectually ambitious and
> thought-provoking.
> -
>
> *Authentic voice*: The essay has a unique voice and perspective, which
> is rare and valuable.
>
> 🔄 Areas for Improvement:
>
> 1.
>
> *Structure and Coherence*:
> -
>
> The essay would benefit from clearer organization. Introducing each
> major point in a separate paragraph with linking transitions could help
> the
> reader follow your argument more easily.
> 2.
>
> *Clarity and Precision*:
> -
>
> Some sentences are dense and abstract. Simpler phrasing or breaking
> complex ideas into smaller steps would enhance readability.
> 3.
>
> *Support and Examples*:
> -
>
> While your assertions are compelling, they would be even stronger
> if supported with specific examples, analogies, or references
> (especially
> in sections discussing how quantum physics affects perception).
> 4.
>
> *Language and Grammar*:
> -
>
> Minor grammatical issues appear (e.g., missing articles, slightly
> awkward phrasing like "drilled" instead of "taught" or "instilled"). A
> light copyedit would refine the prose.
>
> ------------------------------
> 🎯 Summary:
>
> Your essay is *philosophically ambitious* and *intellectually courageous*,
> offering unique insights into language, science, and consciousness. While
> it could be improved through clearer structure and more accessible
> language, it demonstrates the wisdom and originality of a reflective mind.
>
> *Final Score: 73/100*
> This reflects a *strong effort with room for structural and stylistic
> refinement*. Well done!
>
> Would you like help editing or revising this essay into a more polished
> version?
>
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> <https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/thatha_patty/CACDCHCKPdDVZa0J1uoMSav9LAxDwMr2py4Uf0r1av956YaMfHA%40mail.gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>
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