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- Read on →: alpākṣaram asandigdhaṁ sāra-vat viśvato-mukham
alpākṣaram asandigdhaṁ sāra-vat viśvato-mukham |
astobham anavadyaṁ ca sūtraṁ sūtra-vido viduḥ ||
(Vāyu Purāṇa; Skanda Purāṇa; Viṣṇu-dharmottara)“Knowers of sūtras know a sūtra (aphorism) to be concise [i.e., of a minimum of letters], unambiguous, substantial [i.e., expressive of the essence of its subject-matter], comprehensive, without any pause [i.e., stoppages or insertions], and irreproachable [i.e., faultless].”
- Read on →: sargabandho mahākāvyam ucyate tasya lakṣaṇam
sargabandho mahākāvyam ucyate tasya lakṣaṇam |
āśīr namaskriyā vastu-nirdeśo vāpi tan-mukham ||
(Kāvyādarśa: 1.14)“That [composition] which is constructed in sections is called a mahākāvya [‘epic poem’]. Its characteristic is that its opening is a blessing (āśīḥ), an offering of obeisance (namaskriyā), or [may also include] a specification of [its] subject-matter.”
- Read on →: sūtrārtho varṇyate yatra vākyaiḥ sutrānusāribhiḥ
sūtrārtho varṇyate yatra vākyaiḥ sutrānusāribhiḥ |
svapadāni ca varṇyante bhāṣyaṁ bhāṣya-vido viduḥ ||
(Abhiyuktokti)“Knowers of a bhāṣya know a bhāṣya [i.e., a commentary] to be that in which the meaning of sūtras is explained with sentences that follow the sūtras and in which the sūtras’ own words are explained.”
- Read on →: padacchedaḥ padārthoktir vigraho vākyayojanā
padacchedaḥ padārthoktir vigraho vākyayojanā |
ākṣepasya samādhānaṁ vyākhyānaṁ pañca-lakṣaṇam ||
(Parāśara Purāṇa: 18.17–18)“(1) Word division (padaccheda) [i.e., separation and restroration of each word in the text to its fundamental form prior to the application of sandhi and other rules of composition], (2) stating the meaning of words (padārtha-ukti) [i.e., offering contextually appropriate synonyms, paraphrases, definitions, examples, and so forth, typically for the sake clarification], (3) analysis [of compounds] (vigraha) [i.e., explaining the meaning of compound words, typically by explaining the roles, relationships, and meanings of the individual words contained inside a compound word], (4) sentence construction (vākya-yojanā, alt., anvaya) [i.e., re-ordering the words in the text according to the rules of conventional syntax, and (5) resolution of concerns (ākṣepasya samādhānam) [i.e., anticipating doubts, questions, objections, and so forth that readers may have about the text and fostering explanations to resolve them] are the five characteristics of a commentary (vyākhyāna).”
- Read on →: śāstrīya-bhāṣārthaḥ saṁskṛta-śabdaḥ
śāstrīya-bhāṣārthaḥ saṁskṛta-śabdaḥ, kārya-paryāyas tac-chabdaḥ, saṁskāra-śabdaś cāvyutpannaḥ |
(Vṛtti on Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa: 768)“The word saṁskṛta (“Sanskrit”) in the sense of the language of the śāstra, this word [i.e., saṁskṛta] as a synonym of [the word] kārya [in the sense of an effect or product, such as when used to describe food as being “prepared” (saṁskṛta)], and the word saṁskāra [i.e., a purificatory rite or mental impression] are [all] underived (avyutpannaḥ).”
- Read on →: yaḥ śabdena pratyāyyate sa ca arthaḥ
yaḥ śabdena pratyāyyate sa ca [arthaḥ] |
(Vṛtti on Śṛṅgāra-prakāśa: 1.13)“That which is caused to be understood by a śabda (word) [is artha [‘meaning’].”