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"THE REVEALED WORD."
1217
Corroborative Instance is inadmissible. This has been thus asserted by Kumūrila (in Shlokavārtika-Eternality of Words, 276)-For us, the word Go is eternal, and people have the idea of the animal Cow from such vulgar deformations of it as Gāvi and the like only when they resemble the original correct word Go ; and the use of the incorrect form is due to incapacity'-The meaning of this is as follows:- The correct word Go being truly expressive, when people say that the idea of the Cow is derived also from the use of the incorrect (corrupt) words as Gāvi and the like, the said idea is not provided, by these incorrect words. Then how does it arise :-It arises from its being like the original correct word Go ;this (use of the corrupt word) is due to the incapacity of the man to pronounce the correct form 'go; from this arises the peculiar action of the Palate and other Speech-centres, from which follows the utterance of the corrupt word gāvi. Bhartrhari also has declared as follows : - The child, on being taught, says amba, amba (Mother, Mother) in the indistinct form, and yet people knowing the correct word have the definite cognition from it ; in the same manner, when the correct word should be used, if one uses the incorrect form, from that there is inferred a certain meaning through the intervention of the correct word '".
This idea is set forth in the following:
TEXT (2668). " THE CAPABLE (EXPRESSIVE WORD 'go' BEING THERE, IF THE IDEA OF THE COW ARISES FROM THE USE OF THE CORRUPT FORM GĀvr',IT IS DUE TO ITS RESEMBLING THE ORIGINAL (CORRECT) WORD ; -SUCH USE BEING DUE TO THE INCAPACITY (OF THE
SPEAKER)."-(2668)
COMMENTARY.
The above argument is answered in the following:
TEXTS (2669-2670). THIS CANNOT BE RIGHT. HOW CAN ANY SUCH COGNITION OF THE RIGHT MEANING APPEAR ON ACCOUNT OF THE RESEMBLANCE TO THE ORIGINAL CORRECT WORD, AMONG FISHERMEN, ETC., WHO ARE IGNORANT OF THE SANSKRIT LANGUAGE ?-FOR THESE REASONS IT CANNOT BE ADMITTED THAT THERE IS AN ETERNAL RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN WORDS AND MEANINGS. IT CAN ONLY BE BASED UPON CONVENTION; AS THAT IS POSSIBLE IN ALL CASES.
(2669-2670)
COMMENTARY. Shanaka' is the Fisherman. Etc.' includes the Mlechchhas and other people. In the case of these men what really happens is that it is only when