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THE RULES CONCERNING SPEECH (BHĀSĀ) IN THE ĀYARANGA-AND DASAVEYÁLIYA-SUTTAS
Collette Caillat
One of the major vows taken by the ascetics of ancient India, whether Brahmanic, Buddhist or Jaina, is "not to make any untrue statement!.” In fact, this prescription applies to each and every individual, for (as is well known), speech is assumed to exert extremely potent forces. It is therefore quite natural that the Šāstras lay down rules about what is or is not to be said, and where, when, how it should be uttered, not only on solemn occasions, but also in daily life. Such prescriptions are specified in the Scriptures of the Buddhists and the Jainas
1. For a general survey and appraisal, H. JACOBI, SBE 22 (London. 1884,
repr. Delhi, 1964), Introduction, p. XXII ff. 2. For general considerations on "oral rites", M. MAUSS, Theorie de la
magie, reprinted in Sociologie et anthropologie, Paris, 1950, p. 48 ff.--As far as India is concerned, L. RENOU, Etudes vediques et pāņineennes, 1, Paris 1955 (Institut de Civilisation Indienne de 'Universite de Paris 1), p. 1-27; IDEM, Etudes sur le vocabulaire du Rgveda, Pondichery, 1958 (Institut Francais d'Indologie 5), on nāman, p. 10-12 le nom n'est jamais" "pretexte, apparence" (oppose a "realite"); il est au contraire la realite meme, il touche a l'essence de l'etre....", p. 11). Moreover, see, e.g., many of J. Gonda's books and articles, among others, Jan GONDA, Die Religionen Indiens I, Veda und älterer Hinduismus (Die Religionen der Menschheit. Herausgegeben von C. M. Schroder, 11),
Stuttgart, 1960, p, 21 ff. (Das Wort"). 3. Vāg ghy evaitat sarvam || vācā hyevaitat sarvam aptam,
“Everything here is speech ./ for by speech everything here is obtained", Satapatha Brāhmaṇa 10.5.1.3 (ed. A. Weber; Berlin-London, 1885 translation J. Eggeling SBE 43, Oxford, 1897, repr. Delhi, 1963); cf. ib, 14.3.2.20:
vācyarthāh niyatāḥ sarve, vār-mālā väg-nisritāḥ "all things (have their nature) determined by speech; speech is their root, and from speech they proceed", Mn 4,256 (trsl, G. Bühler);
vãi-mayāniha astrăại -nisthani tathaiba ca
tasmād vācah param nästi väg ghi sarvasya karanam, "the śāstras are made up of words, and words are the source of everything", Natyaśāstra, 9.3 (ed. M. Ghosh, Calcutta, 1967, trsl. Id, Calcutta, 1951, BI 272).
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