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(xv)
(c) Vaiśeşika's opinion: Śabda is an attribute but it is not an attribute of earth etc. Instead, it is an attribute of space'Pariseṣāllingamākāśas/ya' (Vaiśeṣika-sūtra 2/1/27). The word originates from combination (samyoga), division (vibhāga) and word (śabda) - 'Samyoganādavibhāgācca śabdācca śabda niṣpattiye' (Vaiśeṣika-sūtra 2/
3/31).
The debate on Sphoṭavāda (Theory of Sphota,-a meaning bearing unit of language)
Samkhya: Maharși Kapila, the founder of the Samkhya School is opposed to the theory of sphota. He asks whether does the word 'sphota' convey the meaning of sphota or not? If yes, then the word itself is enough to convey the meaning and the postulation of sphota is useless. If it does not, then the sphota cannot be established because it fails to convey the meaning 'Pratītyapratītibhyāṁ na sphoṭātmakaḥ śabdaḥ' (Sāṁkhyasūtra 5/57). The three-fold ahamkāra (ego) is regarded as the origin of Sabda and this is quite reasonable - 'Taśmād guṇaśca ṣoḍaśakaḥ' (Sāṁkhyakārikā-2).
Yoga: As in the field of grammar the word Sphota is propounded, so also Maharși Patañjali accepts the significance of sphota in the field of the Yoga - 'Śabdārthapratyayānāmitaretarādhyāsāť (Yoga-sūtra 3-17). It is only the sphota-sabda, which is reflected in the form of the meaning (object) and the knowledge. All the three-word, meaning and knowledge are identical. Proper restraint on subtle difference between the three results in the cognition of the dialects of all the living beings.
Vijñāna Bhiksu has raised three questions regarding sphota - Sphotākhyaḥ śabdaḥ kīdṛśaḥ? Kim kāraṇakaḥ? and Kim pramāṇakaḥ (Yoga-väsiṣṭha -3/16) i.e. What is the nature of sphota-sabda? What is the cause of sphota ? and what is the proof for sphota?
1. What is the nature of Sphota? In response to this question it is said that the manner in which a tree is different from its various stages of gradual development like seed, the sprout (Ankura) etc. and yet it becomes a single unitary organism ‘ayameka āmravṛkṣaḥ' (this is a mango tree), so also the three syllables of a word 'cow' (c,o,w) - with their progressive stages emerges as one word 'cow' (Gaurityekam padam). Thus the unitary whole expressed 'word' is known as sphota.
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