A critical edition of the Vaiyakaranabhusana, a monumental work on Semantics, is a longfelt desideratum. Although the work has a grammatical basis, it records the development of semantic thought in all the three major Indian schools of semantics, namely, the Nyaya-school, the Mimamsa-school and the Vyakarana-School. The Vatyakaranabhusana represents, in fact, the culmination of the classical debate on several semantic issues which continued for centuries. The work, therefore, occupies a significant position in the history of Indian-semantic-thought.
The Samasasaktinirnaya is one of the important sections of the Vaiyakaranabhisana. It reflects divergent views held by scholars belonging to different disciplines on the process of understanding meaning from the peculiar linguistic phenomenon known as samasa. The arguments and counter-arguments endorsed by the three major schools, mentioned above and registered in this section, articulate the importance of this topic in the area of semantics. The siddhanta-view, namely, that it is sakti and not laksana which conveys the meaning of a compound-formation, is firmly established as the outcome of the symposium. The text of the Samasasaktinirnaya thus makes an interesting reading as it sums up the centuries old debate on a semantically vital issue. Further, it exemplifies the traditional methodology of dialogue among diverse disciplines.
Dr. Biswal, who has not only critically edited the text of the Samasasaktinirnaya but also discussed several complex issues. deserves congratulations, firstly, for undertaking the challenging task and secondly, for successfully accomplishing it. Written in a highly sophisticated navyanyaya-style, the text demands a thorough knowledge of all the three disciplines as a prerequisite, which is possible only if one has a sound traditional background. The critical notes and remarks added to this edition, adequately testify Dr. Biswal's profound acquaintance with the traditional lores. He has based his critical edition on 8 MSS and 3 printed editions of the Vaiyakaranabhusana. Some of the MSS have been collated for the first time. Dr. Biswal has, while presenting the critical apparatus, discussed different readings and has given his own justification for accepting readings different from the ones accepted so far. His meticulous approach to the MSS reflected in the emendations suggested by him, attestations of the citations in the texts, corrections into misconceived passages and a systematic topic wise arrangement of the text are some of the highlights of the present critical edition for which Dr. Biswal deserves special compliments.
A careful student of Indian semantics will find in the book both, a fairly good account of the development of semantics thought in ancient India, and a model of textual criticism.
The present work is a revised form of my doctoral dissertation, originally submitted to the University of Poona, in October, 1991. The study was carried on by me under the adept supervision of Prof. Saroja Bhate, Head of the Department of Sanskrit and Prakrit Languages, University of Poona. I feel it essential to write a few words as a prologue to the unique study, which involves one of the important concepts of the Philosophy of Sanskrit grammar, namely, Samasasaktinirnaya as depicted mainly in the Vaiyakaranabhusana (VB). VB 'the grammarians' ornament' is the magnum opus of Kaunda Bhatta (17th century A.D.). This is undoubtedly an excellent piece of monument of the grammatical interpretation of words, written as an exegetical-notes on the small treatise Vatyakaranasiddhantakarika(VSK) of Bhattoji Diksita (16th century A.D.). VSK, consisting of 72 verses, is a very scholarly work on the interpretation of words and sentences, based on the subject introduced in the Mahabhasya, Vakyapadiya, Pradīpa etc. and discussed fully in the Sabdakaustubha. This has been confessed by the author himself in the opening verse: Phanibhasitabhasyabdheḥ sabdakaustubha uddhrtah!
taira nirntia evarthaḥ samksepeneha kathyate //
or However, this compact work cannot be fully understood without the help of VB its abridged form: Valyakaranabhusanasara (VBS) to some extent. Being a commentary on VSK, VB for its most part, has to rely on the older authorities like Panini, Katyayana, Patafijali and Bhartrhari etc. Kaunda Bhatta has honestly accepted this thing in his twin-texts: VB and VBS. Although he elaborates the ideas of Bhattoji Diksita throughout the VB, he has the full credit of awakening fresh interest in studying the philosophy of Sanskrit grammar, which was being practically neglected at his time. Because of the unique style (navyanyaya-style) of his own, he has secured an important place amongst the grammarian-turned-philosophers.
VB mainly deals with the principles of the philosophy of Sanskrit language and semantics instead of metaphysics. In recent times, scholars from India and abroad are keenly interested in studying the Indian semantics. The present work is nothing but one of such attempts to interprete the Indian super-minds in dealing with a particular part of theories of meaning.
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