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## 48] [Prajñāpātasūtra [831 pr.] Bhagavan! Is the language of understanding (avadhāriṇī bhāṣā) true, false, a mixture of true and false, or neither true nor false? [831 u.] Gautama! It (avadhāriṇī bhāṣā) may be true, it may be false, it may be a mixture of true and false, and it may also be neither true nor false. [pr.] Bhagavan! Why do you say that (avadhāriṇī bhāṣā) may be true, may be false, may be a mixture of true and false, and may also be neither true nor false? [u.] Gautama! The language that is conducive to worship (ārādhaṇī) is true, the language that is not conducive to worship (virādhaṇī) is false, the language that is both conducive and not conducive to worship (ārādhaṇī-virādhaṇī) is a mixture of true and false, and the language that is neither conducive to worship, nor not conducive to worship, nor both, is the fourth type called neither true nor false (asatyāmṛṣā). O Gautama! This is why it is said that the language of understanding may be true, may be false, may be a mixture of true and false, and may also be neither true nor false.
**Explanation:** The nature and four types of the language of understanding are discussed in these two sūtras (830-831). In the first sūtra, Śrī Gautama Svāmī has sought the Lord's judgment on the nature of language based on his own contemplation and thought. In the second sūtra, the Lord has also determined the four types of the language of understanding.
**Explanation of "language" and "understanding":** The etymological meaning of "language" is that which is spoken (bhāṣī jāe), that is, spoken. Its scholastic definition is: "Language is the aggregate of substances that are emitted (from the mouth, etc.) after being transformed into the form of language by taking in (pudgalas)."
**"Language is understanding":** This means that language is capable of conveying understanding, it is the seed (cause) of understanding. Because the meaning of "avadhāriṇī" is that by which the understanding or certainty of an object is achieved.
**The essence of the first sūtra:** In the first sūtra (830), Śrī Gautama Svāmī has repeated the same question six times in different ways to seek the Lord's judgment on the truth of his opinion regarding the nature of language.
**Its meaning is as follows:** (1) Bhagavan! I believe that language is capable of conveying understanding. (2) I (also) think (logically) that language is understanding. In this way, Śrī Gautama Svāmī presents his opinion before the Lord and seeks his judgment on its truthfulness by asking these two questions again: (3) Bhagavan! Do I believe that language is understanding? (4) Bhagavan! Do I (logically) think that language is understanding? That is, is my belief and thinking correct? To get the Lord's seal of approval on the truthfulness of this opinion, Śrī Gautama Svāmī presents these two questions again in a different form: 1. 'Bhāṣyate iti bhāṣā' 2. 'Tadyogyatayā pariṇāmitanisajyamānādravyasaṃhatiḥ, eṣa padārthaḥ /' 3. Avdhāryate-avagamyate'rtho'nayeti avadhāriṇī-avabodha bījabhūtā ity arthaḥ / Prajñāpanā. Malaya. Vṛtti, patrāṅka 246