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Bharthari's paradox
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which is an instance of the unnamability thesis. There are several differences of wording between Bl and the textual passage SS 4a, and the exegetical problem is whether or not the passage taken in the larger context of Bharthari's semantic theory, implies Bl. We will comment on each of three points of difference.
In the first place, Bl explicitly identifies " the relation” mentioned in SS 4a as the signifier-signified relation, under discussion in these verses of SS. The text is quite clear on this point and we do not regard it as controversial
In the second place, BI has "name" where SS 4a has “si. gnifying expression". Given the very comprehensive character of the signifying relation, it is natuaral to regard names as a special kind of signifying expression. For our purposes, the most prominent distinguishing feature of names is their grammatical status as singular nouns or singular pounphrases. On this usage one would not regard prepositions, suffixes or verbs as names of what they signify. We shall provisionally regard singular pronouns and demonstratives as names, on the understanding that this treatment is eminently open to revision.
In the tbird place, Bl omits the qulifying phrase "on the basis of a property belonging to it". The justifying argument for this omission would be that the phrase in question is not understood in context as a restrictive qualification for in Bhartshari's semantics all naming is "on the basis of a property". Thus VP III. 14. 274 states that words have no applications without "occasioning grounds”; and other passages suggest that even proper names and perhaps demonstratives as well denote through some fixed or contextually determined individuating property.?
The last of these points is one of the most important in evaluating the claim that SS 4a in its textual context implies Bl. If Bhartshari's semantics could accomodate names with some mode of significance other than that "on the basis of property", then SS 4a would not commit Bhartshari to the
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