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अध्याय-१
by the aggregate of all the viewpoints. The verbal viewpoint (sabda naya) is intent on removing the anomalies or irregularities with regard to gender, number, case, etc. Although the original text highlights many irregularities, just two of these are mentioned here. Irregularity of gender (lińgavyabhicāra) – puspa, tārakā and nakṣatra – these are of different genders. Yet these are used as substitutes. Irregularity of time (kālavyabhicāra) – ‘viśvadrśvāsya putro janitā' - 'A son who has seen the world will be born to him.' Here, what will take place in the future (i.e., seeing the world) is spoken of as having taken place in the past. Though such usage prevails by convention or custom, yet the verbal viewpoint considers it improper as words with different meanings cannot be clubbed. If this is opposed to what is universally current, let it be so. Here truth is investigated; medical treatment (medicine) does not satisfy the whimsies of the patient! As it consists of forsaking several meanings, it is called the conventional viewpoint (samabhirūdha naya). It gives up the several meanings and becomes current in one important sense. For instance, the word 'gau' has several meanings such as speech but, by convention, it has come to denote the cow. Or, words are employed to convey the knowledge of the objects. That being so, from every word arises knowledge of one particular object. Hence it is useless to employ synonyms. With the change of the word, the meaning too must change. The conventional viewpoint (samabhirūdha naya) abandons several meanings of the word. For instance, 'indra', 'sakra' and 'purandara' are three words that are used to describe the lord of the celestial being. But these must have three meanings. 'Indra' means the one who is endowed with authority and supremacy, 'sakra'means the strong one, and 'purandara' means the one who destroys cities. Same kind of distinction applies to all words. The important sense of the word, ignoring its several meanings, becomes the conventional viewpoint (samabhirūdha naya). For instance, “Where do you reside?” The answer is, “I reside in myself.” Why? It is because one substance cannot reside in another. If, on the other hand, one thing can reside in
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