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V. D. Hegde
According to Patanjalı, unity (Ekatva), indivisibility (Akhandatva) and eternity (Nityatva)are the salient features of Sphota. Sphota is Sabda, whereas sound is only a quality as it serves only to manifest Sphota. 24 The relation between the two is one of the indicator and indicated. It is further elucidated that Sabda has two aspects : Sound and Sphota, it is only the sound tliat is perceived by auditory oigans and scenis to be either long or short, while Sphofa remains completely unchanged.
One thing becomes clear on going deep into the concept of Sphota that Sphota, though strictly one and indivisible, can be classified as interrnal and external. Sound manifests only the intcinal form of Sphota. The external form of Sphota, which is comprehended by the auditory organs, has no intimate relation with the meaning. 25
Bhartrhari las dwelt at length on the concept of Spliota. He clearly enunciates that Sabda is of two kinds.26 This can be explained as follows:
Perception
Speaker Upādāna Sabda
Nimitta Sabda
Vaikhari Sabda [Akrama; Sphota]
[Sakrama] Listener Upādāna Sabda
Nimitta Sabda
Sabda which resides in the
mind of the listener. [Vaikharı sabda; Sakrama]
[Akrama; Sphota] Sphota is called Akrama, because there is no question of order (Kranza) such as priority and posteriority in relation to Sphota.27 It is sound that passes through successive stages in course of articulation and appears to be either long or short in proportion to the amount of exertion which the utterance of a word requires. Due to the varying modulations of voice, as caused by the vocal apparatus, Ka' Sound differs from 'Kha' sound.
Bharthari has pondered over the dual aspects of Sabda. According to him Sabda can express itself as well as its meaning He has further corroborated this point by citing an epistemological evidence This may be explained as follows:
