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" THE REVEALED WORD."
1059
Prior to this has to be construed with hearing of other Words'.
• Perished, etc. etc. what has perished'-i.e. the past what is nonscisten the future; with regard to these two no assertion of connection can be made, because they are non-existent at the time as regards what excists' i.e. the present, which is being uttered, that also perishes imme. diately; how could it continue to exist till the setting up of the Connection ? -(2247-2248)
The same idea is further explained :
TEXTS (2249–2251). “WHICH WORD WOULD IT BE WHICH THE SPEAKER WOULD SPEAK OF TO
THE HEARER, AS BEING EXPRESSIVE OF MEANING, WHEN HE IS UNABLE TO UTTER THE WORD THAT HAS BEEN HEARD PREVIOUSLY ? -HE CANNOT SPEAK OF THE WORD AS EXPRESSIVE. HE MIGHT SPEAK OF IT AS similar; BUT, IN THAT CASE, IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE FOR THE HEARER TO RECOGNISE IT AS SIMILAR TO THAT EXPRESSIVE WORD; BECAUSE HE HAS NEVER HEARD THAT ORIGINAL EXPRESSIVE WORD ; WHILE THE NEW WORD THAT HE HEARS IS NOT EXPRESSIVE. AND WHEN THE MAN WHO IS A Speaker NOW BECOMES THE Hearer AT A LATER TIME, THE SAME DIFFICULTIES WOULD APPEAR." - [Shlokavārtika—ETERNALITY OF WORDS, 261-264).—(2249–2251)
COMMENTARY.
The Speaker cannot speak of the previously heard Word, to the Hearer, because it has perished already; the Word that he does speak to him,-that he cannot prove to be expressive; because this Word has not yet had any connection set up in regard to itself.
It might be possible that he might speak of it as similar to the expressive Word.-But that also is not possible. This is what is explained in the words*But in that case, etc. etc.'--What is desired in this connection is not similarity to anything, but similarity to the expressive Word; and that is not possible. If the Hearer had heard any expressive Word, thon the similarity could be pointed out to him; as a matter of fact, however, the Hearer has not heard the expressive Word at the time that the Convention regarding its meaning was set up; hence what has been suggested is not possible.
It might be urged that the Word that is being spoken of to him by the Speaker might be expressive.
The answer to that is- The new Word that he hears is not expressive the Word that is being uttered at the moment is not expressive; because no connection has been set up in relation to it; as has been already pointed out.
