Dear all,

I am sorry to say that the vast majority of claims made about Sanskrit words or phrases on the English-language Wikipedia are wrong, and this is a good example of something added by someone who does not understand the very basics of the language.

Phalaśruti means "hearing of a result," as Śabara says in his commentary to Mīmāṁsāsūtra 3.7.9 (phalaśrutiḥ → phalaṁ śrūyatē). The phrase has a long history, obviously, but a Mīmāṁsaka would probably understand it in the first instance as an explicit statement (śruti) wherein some result (phala) is mentioned. There is a lot of literature on this topic, including by some members of this list.

Andrew

On Fri, Nov 22, 2024 at 8:39 AM Simon Brodbeck via INDOLOGY <indology@list.indology.info> wrote:

Dear colleagues,

 

I noticed that there is a Wikipedia entry for “phalashruti”, where it is claimed that “Phalaśruti is a Sanskrit compound word ... literally translating to, ‘fruits of listening’”.

 

Firstly, I would welcome any comments on this claim, which at first glance would seem to be better explanation for the word śravaṇaphala than for the word phalaśruti. Is phalaśruti perhaps rather a corruption of phalastuti?

 

Secondly, I would welcome suggestions for secondary literature discussing such verses. I think all I know of so far is an article by McComas Taylor in the “Journal of Hindu Studies”, and a section of James Hegarty’s monograph (both 2012).

 

Many thanks in advance ... Yours truly, Simon Brodbeck (Cardiff University).


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