Hermeneutics – Page 2 – Anuśīlana.in

apauruṣeyaṁ vākyaṁ vedaḥ

apauruṣeyaṁ vākyaṁ vedaḥ | sa ca vidhi-mantra-nāmadheya-niṣedhārthavāda-bhedāt pañca-vidhaḥ |
(Artha-saṅgraha: 1 (10))

“Veda is a statement that is not produced by a puruṣa (apauruṣeya) [i.e., a statement that is beginninglessly self-existent and thus not produced by any living being]. That [i.e., Veda], furthermore, is of five types according to the divisions of (1) vidhi [i.e., injunction], (2) mantra [i.e., hymn], (3) nāmadheya [i.e., name], (4) niṣedha [i.e., prohibition], and (5) arthavāda [i.e., explanatory or eulogistic passage].”

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yatra niṣkāma-dharma-nirmala-cittaḥ

yatra niṣkāma-dharma-nirmala-cittaḥ sat-prasaṅga-lubdhaḥ śraddhāluḥ śānty-ādimān adhikārī | sambandho vācya-vācaka-bhāvaḥ | viṣayo niravadyo viśuddhānanta-guṇa-gaṇo’cintyānanta-śaktiḥ sac-cid-ānandaḥ puruṣottamaḥ | prayojanaṁ tv aśeṣa-doṣa-vināśa-puraḥsaras tat-sākṣātkāra … |
(Govinda-bhāṣya on Vedānta-sūtra: 1.1.1)

“… In which [i.e., in the Vedānta-sūtra], the bearer of eligibility (adhikārī) is a person who is of taintless heart by virtue of [engagement in] desireless dharma, is desirous of association with sādhus, is endowed with śraddhā [in the meaning of śāstra], and is possessed of tranquility and so forth [i.e., control of the mind, control of the senses, and other virtues]. The relation (sambandha) [of the text with its subject (viṣaya)] is of the nature of referent (vācya) and referrer (vācaka). The subject (viṣaya) is the irreproachable Supreme Person (Puruṣottama) constituted of eternal being, consciousness, and bliss and possessed of endless pure qualities and endless inconceivable potency. The aim (prayojana) is direct perception (sākṣātkāra) of him preceded by the disintegration of all faults.”

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viṣayo viśayaś caiva pūrvapakṣas tathottaram

viṣayo viśayaś caiva pūrvapakṣas tathottaram |
nirṇayaś ceti pañcāṅgaṁ śāstre’dhikaraṇaṁ smṛtam ||
(Śloka-vārtika of Kumārila Bhaṭṭa)

“(1) The subject (viṣaya), (2) a doubt (viśaya) [regarding it], (3) a prior position (pūrvapakṣa) [regarding it], then (4) the answer [lit., the ‘latter’ position regarding it], (5) and the conclusion (nirṇaya)—an adhikaraṇa [i.e., ‘topic’] in śāstra in known to be of these five parts.”

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upamīyate yena tad upamānam, yat tūpamīyate tad upameyam

upamīyate yena tad upamānam, yat tūpamīyate tad upameyam |
(Amṛta-ṭīkā on Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa: 1314)

“That with which comparing occurs [i.e., to which something is compared] is [called] the upamāna [i.e., the object of comparison], and that which is compared [to the upamāna] is [called] the upameya [i.e., the subject of comparison, e.g., in the phrase ‘lotus feet,’ the lotus is the upamāna and feet are the upameya].”

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yogād rūḍhir balīyasī

yogād rūḍhir balīyasī |
(Unknown source)

“The conventional [meaning of a word] (ruḍḥi) is stronger than the etymological [meaning of that word] (yoga).”

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yadyapi pūrvānusāreṇa candrādayas tasya dṛṣṭāntatā-leśam api nārhanti

yadyapi pūrvānusāreṇa candrādayas tasya dṛṣṭāntatā-leśam api nārhanti, tathāpi sādhāraṇa-lokānāṁ tad-dvārā tan-mahima-praveśārtham eva te dṛṣṭāntitāḥ | yatra tu tad-antaraṅga-parikarair api tādṛśaṁ varṇyate, tatra sākṣād bhagavad-vibhūti-rūpa-tal-līlā-parikarā eva candrādayo dṛṣṭāntitā iti sarvatra jñeyam |
(Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭīkā on Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.46)

“Although, in accord with the former [comment made earlier on this subject in regard to BRS 1.1.1], the moon and so forth are not fit even in the least to be objects of comparison with him [i.e., Śrī Kṛṣṇa], still they are cited as objects of comparison [with him] for the purpose of common people’s entering into his greatness thereby. Where, however, such [objects of comparison] are described even by his intimate retinue, there only the moon and so forth that are directly [part of] the retinue in his līlā in the form of Bhagavān’s splendors (vibhūtis) are cited as objects of comparison [with him]. This is to be understood in all cases.”

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sodāharaṇam iti—atrodāharaṇāni caturbhiḥ pramāṇair labdhāni

sodāharaṇam iti—atrodāharaṇāni caturbhiḥ pramāṇair labdhāni | śāstreṇa, tat-tātparyeṇa, tad-anusāri-mahājana-prasiddhyā, tat-tad-anusāri-sambhavena ca |
(Durgama-saṅgamanī-ṭīkā on Bhakti-rasāmṛta-sindhu: 2.1.44)

“‘With illustration’ here means illustrations attained by four pramāṇas (means of knowing): (1) by śāstra, (2) by its intention (tātparya), (3) by the realization of mahājanas following that [i.e., the śāstra’s intention], and (4) by that which is produced following that [realization] of that [intention of the śāstra].”

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vākya-doṣo nāma yathā khalv asminn arthe nyūnam adhikam

vākya-doṣo nāma yathā khalv asminn arthe nyūnam adhikam anarthakam apārthakaṁ viruddhaṁ ceti |
(Caraka-saṁhitā: 3.8.54)

“Fault in a statement is known as follows in regard to the object [which the statement describes]: (1) deficient (nyūna) [i.e., the statement fails to sufficiently convey the nature of the object; the statement is too laconic], (2) verbose (adhika) [i.e., the statement uses more words than necessary to convey the nature of the object; the statement contains redundancy or irrelevant content], (3) meaningless (anarthaka) [i.e., the statement does not make sense; the statement does not convey any object], (4) incoherent (apārthaka) [i.e., the statement does not convey a complete sense; the statement contains syntactically disjointed content], (5) contradictory (viruddha) [i.e., the statement conveys an idea of the object that is contrary to the actual nature of the object; the statement is erroneous].”

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sarvatrāvaśeṣe luptasya śakty-āropa

sarvatrāvaśeṣe luptasya śakty-āropa iti nyāyena samāsa-vigrahāṇāṁ lope sati tat-tac-chakteḥ samāsa evāvasthānāt tair api kārakāny uktāni syuḥ |
(Amṛta-ṭīkā on Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa: 929)

“As per the maxim, ‘Attribution of the śakti [i.e., the force, the meaning] of that which has been deleted [by means of the rules for forming compounds when a compound is formed] is present all throughout the remainder [i.e. the whole compound itself],’ when deletion of the vigrahas [i.e., the resolved parts] of compounds occurs, the kārakas shall be expressed even by those [deleted parts] because of their respective śakti remaining in the compound itself [even after they are deleted].”

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śakti-graho vyākaraṇopamāna

śakti-graho vyākaraṇopamāna-
koṣāpta-vākyād vyavahārataś ca |
vākyasya śeṣād vivṛter vadanti
sānnidhyataḥ siddha-padasya vṛddhāḥ ||
(Unknown source; cited in the Amṛta-ṭīkā on Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa: 924)

“The learned say that comprehension of the force (śakti) [i.e., the meaning] of a declined word comes from grammar, comparison, dictionaries, the statement of a reliable person, common usage, the remainder [i.e., the word(s) implied but not stated] in a [elliptical] sentence, and commentaries.”

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