Abhidha

Author(s): Tapasvi Nandi, Jitendra B Shah
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 84

[75]
"Mukhyo'rtho gangādiśabdānām srotah-prabhľtih, tena sambaddhah tațādir arthaḥ tattvena abhedena laksyamāno laksyaḥ. tattvena laksyamāna iti vacanād bhedābhedābhyām āropita iti na vartate. sesam tu gauņalaksanam anuvartate eva. tadvisayo sabdo laksakah yathā gangāyām ghosaḥ, kuntāḥ, pravišanti. atra gangāyām ghosādhikaraṇatvasya, kuntānām praveśasya ca asambhavāt mukhyārtha-bādhaḥ sāmīpyam sāhacaryam ca nimittam. gangātaţa iti kuntavanta iti ca prayogāt yesām na tathā pratītiḥ teşām pāvanatva-raudratvādīnām dharmāņām tathā-pratipādanam prayojanam."
Thus, the difference between gaunī and laksaņā for Hemacandra is that while in gaunī there is superimposition of one object over another object, i.e. one thing over another thing. This is realised either through complete identification or through a state where both are separately mentioned. On the other hand in laksaņā there is also superimposition. But it takes place at meaning level. There is superimposition of the meaning of something over the meaning of another thing but both are mentioned through one and the same word. Again this superimposition is through absolute identity, 'gangātata' and 'ganga-pravāha' are not separately mentioned as in gaur-vāhikah, but their meanings are identified through a common expression viz. 'gangā'.
We observed that some illustrations of 'a-bhedena gaunārtha' such as 'indrāḥ', 'taksā', 'ādhakah', 'raktaḥ', 'grāmaḥ, seem to be 'in a way dubious'. This is so because here also the meanings of two separate objects, not directly and separately mentioned, are taken as one; the colour is 'raktaħ', the cloth is 'red cloth' or 'raktaḥ patah', but only one word is used for two meanings. Even in lakṣaṇā this happens. Two meanings of two different words are identified through a common expression. Thus the sacrificial post for Indra is said to be Indra. This is gaunī. But here also meanings indicated by an identical word are identified through complete identity — a bhedena'. It would have been better if like Mammața and many others Hemacandra also had mentioned 'gauni' as a subvariety of laksaņā based on similarity, the rest being śuddhā laksanā.