Jaina Philosophy of Language

Author(s): Sagarmal Jain
Publisher: Parshwanath Vidyapith

Page 63

Jaina Philosophy of Word : (37)
Definition of word
Word is the sound-symbol, nevertheless, it is worth to remember that all types of sound cannot be regarded as word. In the context of language, the meaning of 'word' is 'alphabetical meaningful sound symbols'. Abhidhānarājendra-kośa mentions some definitions of word given by Jaina masters. Generally, sound of alphabets received by auditory sense in a successive manner as well as in a definite order is called 'word'. Though this definition fails to define the meaning of word in its 'totality because the word is not only the alphabetical sound received by the auditory sense in an orderly manner but also more than that, must be meaning oriented. In this regard, there are three important points to be noted:
i. Sound should be Alphabetical
ii. It should be arranged in a definite order and
iii. It should be meaningful
Abidhanarajendra-kośa maintains, 'that which is able to interpret or manifest the meaning is word'." Patanjali defines word as that which has meaning. The commentary on Mahābhāṣya of Patanjali has the similar view regarding the definition of word. It reads, "Atha gaurityatra kaḥ śabdaḥ? Gakāraukāravisarjanīyāḥ iti bhagavānupavarṣaḥ/ Śrotragrahaṇehyarthe śabdaśabdaḥ prasiddhaḥ/ Yadyevamarthapratyayo nopapadyate/Ato gakārādivyatirikto'nyo gośabdo'sti, yato'rtha-pratipattiḥ syat'" i.e. the word is not mere a combination of sound, which forms the words but the word is that which has a meaning. In fact, the word denotes meaning. To interpret the meaning, is the power of word. If it fails to interpret the meaning then it is nothing more than the meaningless sound. The meaningful sound is called as word. Bhartṛhari maintains that the word is inseparable from its meaning. The Jainācāryas have also advocated the inseparable relation of word and its meaning but they do not consider them as identical. They maintain the expressed-expressive (vācya-vācaka) relation between the word and its meaning. I have discussed in detail the relation of word and its meaning in forth coming chapter, what I want to establish here that denotation of the object is the real quality of the word. According to Jainas the word has symbolic
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