Hermeneutics

liṅgyate jñāyate’neneti liṅgaṁ cihnam ity arthaḥ

liṅgyate jñāyate’neneti liṅgaṁ cihnam ity arthaḥ | tac ca liṅgam īśvara-paribhāṣito dharma iti tasya svabhāva-siddhatā | tataś ca liṅgānāṁ prakṛti-vācyatvam eva nyāyatvam |
(Amṛta-ṭīkā on Hari-nāmāmṛta-vyākaraṇa: 924)

“That by which something is indicated, that is, known, is a liṅga, that is, a characteristic. This is the meaning. Furthermore, its [i.e., a liṅga’s] establishment in the nature [of an object, i.e., its being innate in an object] is because a liṅga is a quality assigned by Īśvara. Thus also, nature being that which is to be expressed by liṅgas is indeed appropriate.”

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kāṇādaṁ pāṇinīyaṁ ca sarva-śāstropakārakam

kāṇādaṁ pāṇinīyaṁ ca sarva-śāstropakārakam |
(Unknown source)

“The work of Kaṇāda [i.e., Vaiśeṣika-darśana, or, loosely, logic] and the work of Pāṇini [i.e., vyākaraṇa, or, loosely, grammar] are helpful in all śāstras [i.e., all fields of knowledge].”

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kevalaṁ śāstram āśritya na kartavyo vinirṇayaḥ

kevalaṁ śāstram āśritya na kartavyo vinirṇayaḥ |
yukti-hīna-vicāre tu dharma-hāniḥ prajāyate ||
(Bṛhaspati; quoted in the Smṛti-candrikā)

“Do not ascertain what is to be done on the basis of śāstra alone. Diminution of dharma certainly occurs as a result of deliberation devoid of reasoning.”

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śāstraṁ hi śāsanātmakam

śāstraṁ hi śāsanātmakam | śāsanaṁ copadeśaḥ | sa ca dvidhā sākṣād arthāntara-dvārā ca | sākṣād-upadeśas tu śrutir iti paribhāṣyate | sākṣāttvaṁ cātra nirapekṣatvam ucyate | tad uktaṁ nirapekṣa-ravā śrutir iti |
(Kṛṣṇa Sandarbha: 29)

“Śāstra is educational. Education is instruction. This is of two types: direct and by way of another meaning [i.e., indirect]. Direct instruction is termed śruti. Its being direct means it is independent [i.e., it does not require anything else to produce its effect]. Thus, it is said [in Artha-saṅgraha: 16], ‘An independent statement is called śruti.’”

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