Baffled by the BSR

[Madhav Deshpande]

Dear Bob (and anyone else who loves Paninian debates),

	Here is how I interpret the passage.  The main thesis of PM
[=Prau.dhamanoramaa] is that iK in P.6.1.77 (iko ya.n aci) ultimately
stands for 66 sounds (cf.  tena ik-"sabdena .sa.t.sa.s.tir g.rhyante, PM). 
How do we get these 66?  BSR is saying that the short varieties are
obtained as tad-vaacya "denoted by that (=iK)", while the other savar.na
varietiesd are obtained as a result of a second level signification
function: tad-vaacya-vaacya "denoted by that [=i, u, .r, .l] which is
denoted by that [=iK]".  The passage at hand first cites an objection to
this procedure.  If some items are obtained through one v.rtti [="sakti,
abhidhaa] while other items are obtained through a secondary signification
function [=lak.sa.naa], then there is a problem of having to rely upon two
signification functions simultaneously [=yugapad-v.rtti-dvaya-virodha]. 
For details on this argument, see my 1992 book "The Meaning of Nouns", pp.
114-5, which also discusses the example gangaayaam miinagho.sau. 
	The BSR rejects this objection first by saying that it is not a
problem to have to take recourse to two signification functions [i.e.
abhidhaa and lak.sa.naa] simultaneously, because such a recourse has been
accepted [cf. tad-angiikaaraat] in the example: gangaayaam miinagho.sau.
The normal example of lak.sa.naa is gangaayaam gho.sa.h "the
cowherd-colony is on the Ganges", where the word gangaa is understood
through a secondary signification function [=lak.sa.naa] to refer to the
bank of the river, because its primary meaning [=vaacya, mukhya-artha] of
the stream of the river is inapplicable [=mukhyaarthabaadha].  However, in
the example gangaayaam miinagho.sau "there are fish and the cowherd-colony
in/on the Ganges", the word gangaa is understood in its primary meaning
with reference to the fish, while it is simultaneously understood in its
secondary meaning with reference to the cowherd-colony.
	The second argument brought up by the BSR is that even the
coverage of short varieties is to be done by taking recourse to a
secondary signification [tad-vaacya-vaacya, lak.sa.naa].  This is
predicated on the understanding that the sound 'a' in the Sivasutra
a-i-u-N is a different instance (vyakti) from the sound 'a' mentioned in
other rules of Panini.  Thus, for the sound 'a' denoted by the shortform
a-N [tad-vaacya] to cover the sound 'a' in another rule such as P.7.4.32
(asya cvau), one needs to take recourse to a secondary signification
[=tad-vaacya-vaacya, lak.sa.naa].  The short vowels are also thus
possessed of the property of being denoted through a secondary
signification function [= hrasvaanaam tad-vaacya-vaacyatvena
lak.syataavacchedakaakraantatvaat]. This is necessary for the derivation
of the expression gha.tiibhavati, where the final 'a' of the word gha.ta
is replaced by long 'ii' by P.7.4.32. 
	The final position defended by the BSR in this passage is that it
is ok to take recourse to two simultaneous signification functions to get
the coverage of all 66 varieties from the shortform iK.
	For those who survive this heavy Paninian dose, have a nice day!

		Madhav Deshpande

On Thu, 17 Oct 1996, Hueckstedt wrote:

> I hate to admit it, but I am at wits end with a passage in Hari Diksita's 
> _B.rhacchabdaratna_. It is on _iko ya.n aci_, my old friend, but I can't 
> figure out the following passage. It begins with a short objection. Then 
> there's a short reply to that objection. Remember that the _BSR_ is a 
> commentary on the _Prau.dhamanoramA_ of Bha.t.toji DIk.sita. I will be 
> grateful for any hints or suggestions. I am using the BHU edition, 1964, 
> edited by Sitaram Shastri. If you have that text handy, you'll find the 
> passage beginning on the last line of p 84. Here's the text:
> 
> yattu hrasvekArAdInA.m tadvAcyatvena yugapad v.rttidvayavirodha iti| 
> tanna| ga"ngAyA.m mInagho.sau sta ityAdau tada"ngIkArAt, hrasvAnA.m 
> tadvAcyavAcyatvena lak.syatAvacchedakAkrAntatvAt| ata eva gha.tI 
> bhavatItyAdAv Ittvam|
> 
> k.rtaj~natayA saha,
> Bob Hueckstedt
> 
> Robert A. Hueckstedt, Associate Professor of Indic Languages
> Asian Studies Centre, 328 Fletcher Argue, University of Manitoba
> Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2 Canada
> http://www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/arts/asian_studies
> fax 1 204-275-5781 phones 1 204-474-8964, 1 204-488-4797
> 
> 
>