________________
SAHṚDAYALOKA
What is emphasised here in particular by the Vakyavādin is that words which seem to enter into the composition of a sentence do not retain their separate identity, either in their formal or material aspect. The meaning of each individual word is found to lose itself almost entirely in the sense that is finally expressed by the sentence in its harmoneous unity, e.g. the word 'Brahmana' has no separate meaning in the expression Brāhmaṇa-kambala :
"brahmaṇártho yatha násti
kaścid brāhamaṇa-kambale
devadattā”dayo vakye
tathaiva syur anarthakāḥ." V.P. II. 14
Again we may beg to differ. If "brāhmaṇa" has no separate meaning in "brāhmaṇa-kambala", then it should have an indentical meaning with either a "vaiśya-kambala" or a "śūdra-kambala" etc. But this is not so.
374
What is Väkyártha ? As to the nature of Vākyārtha we read different views (Ref. Dr. Kapil Dev Dwivedi; 'Artha-vijñāna', quoting Jayanta Bhatta. This again is quoted by Dr. Bholashanker Vyas). The views are -
(i) The sense of a sentence is 'jñāna'.
(ii) The vakyártha is 'kriya' or action, which is the most important element in
a statement.
(iii) The vakyártha is 'phala' - result or fruit as we perform any action with a view to some 'phala'.
(iv) The vakyártha is 'purușa' (i.e. īśvara) for the 'phala' of an action is directed towards him.
(v) The vakyártha is 'bhavana' i.e. the activity or vyāpāra of the kartā, the doer, or agent, with reference to some desired object such as heaven/'svarga'.
(vi) The vakyártha is śabda-bhāvanā or vidhi.
(vii) The vakyártha is 'niyoga' or preraṇā.
(viii) The vakyártha is 'udyoga'.
(ix) The vakyártha is 'pratibha'.
The Naiyayikas hold phala to be the Vakyártha while the Vaiyakaraṇas believe it to be pratibha or intution. We may assume that, as is normally the case elsewhere, in this respect also the ālamkarikas follow the lead of the Vaiyakaranas and accept 'pratibha' to be 'väkyártha'.
Jain Education International
For Personal & Private Use Only
www.jainelibrary.org