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Vakya (Samskrit: वाक्यम्) is a combination of words having certain meaning. Annambhatta in his Tarkasangraha says that a Shabda is that which has the significative relation; Vakya (वाक्यम्), a sentence, is a group of such words. Nyayasutras discussed mostly about word-meaning and its relationships and not until the later commentaries do we see the sentence meaning mentioned. Most of the early Vaiyakaranas and Naiyayikas opined that the sentence meaning merely constitutes the sum of the individual word-meanings. It is the Mimamsa school that started a detailed study of sentences and developed an elaborate siddhanta for interpretation of sentences.<ref name=":1">Kunjunniraja, K. (1988) ''Mimamsa Contribution to Language Studies.'' Calicut: University of Calicut. </ref>
== परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==
Vakya (Samskrit: वाक्यम्) is a combination of words having certain meaning. Annambhatta in his Tarkasangraha says that a Shabda is that which has the significative relation; Vakya (वाक्यम्), a sentence, is a group of such words. Nyayasutras discussed mostly about word-meaning and its relationships and not until the later commentaries do we see the sentence meaning mentioned. Most of the early Vaiyakaranas and Naiyayikas opined that the sentence meaning merely constitutes the sum of the individual word-meanings. It is the Mimamsa school that started a detailed study of sentences and developed an elaborate siddhanta for interpretation of sentences.<ref name=":1">Kunjunniraja, K. (1988) ''Mimamsa Contribution to Language Studies.'' Calicut: University of Calicut. </ref>
== Introduction ==
The first mention of a Mimamsa type of definition of the sentence seems to be found in the Katyayana Shrauta sutra <blockquote>तेषां वाक्यं निराकाङ्क्षम् २ मिथः सम्बद्धम् ३ (Katy. Shrau. Sutr. 1.3.2-3)<ref>Katyayana Shrauta Sutra ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8C%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%BF/%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4 Adhyaya 1])</ref></blockquote>A sentence is that which is niraakanksha (निराकाङ्क्षम्) that is to say 'something which has no requirement of expectation of words outside itself to complete its meaning.' It is explained as mithah sambandha or 'mutual relationship' among the word-meanings in the sentence. It is in the Mimamsasutras of Jaimini that we first come across the definition of a sentence or vakya.<ref name=":1" />
The first mention of a Mimamsa type of definition of the sentence seems to be found in the Katyayana Shrauta sutra <blockquote>तेषां वाक्यं निराकाङ्क्षम् २ मिथः सम्बद्धम् ३ (Katy. Shrau. Sutr. 1.3.2-3)<ref>Katyayana Shrauta Sutra ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%B2%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%83/%E0%A4%B6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A5%8C%E0%A4%A4%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%BF/%E0%A4%95%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4 Adhyaya 1])</ref></blockquote>A sentence is that which is niraakanksha (निराकाङ्क्षम्) that is to say 'something which has no requirement of expectation of words outside itself to complete its meaning.' It is explained as mithah sambandha or 'mutual relationship' among the word-meanings in the sentence. It is in the Mimamsasutras of Jaimini that we first come across the definition of a sentence or vakya.<ref name=":1" />
== Cognition of Sentence-Meaning ==
== Cognition of Sentence-Meaning ==
On hearing the words of a Vakya (sentence), we get a unitary sense which is the meaning of the sentence. Three aspects govern the unitary sense of cognition of sentence.
# Individual words satisfying the conditions of a meaningful sentence.
# Recollection of word-meanings (padartha)
# Mutual relationship of word-meanings
There are two main siddhantas explaining the import of a sentence meaning.
=== Abhihitanvayavada ===
This concept was given by Kumarila Bhatta of Mimamsa school of darshanas. It is advocated in Nyaya and Vedanta systems. The commonplace statement in linguistics that the sentence is the unit of speech is comparable to this theory. According to this theory, the meaning of a sentence is construed by the synthesis (anvaya) of the meanings of the individual words composing it. Abhihita or knowing the meaning of the individual words precedes the construction and comprehension of a sentence. The meaning of the sentence is based on the word-meanings.<ref name=":7" />
When we hear or read a sentence, we make an effort to first understand the individual word-meanings one after the other. Then by putting together the meanings of all the words, according to their yogyata, akanksha and asatti, we comprehend the meaning of the whole sentence. As to how the different meanings which are successively expressed by the words are put together, it is said to happen due to memory.<ref name=":7" />
==== Arguments in Support ====
# If words and sentences have no separate meanings of their own, then the classification of words into nouns, adjectives, verbs etc becomes meaningless as each class of words have their role in a sentence.
# Prior understanding of the component words is a prerequisite to comprehend a sentence meaning.
# If meaning of a sentence is independent of the meaning of the component words, then any sentence could convey any meaning.
# Comprehending a new sentence rests on the knowledge of the constituent word-meaning without which the new sentence will ever remain unintelligible.
=== Anvitabhidhanavada ===
This siddhanta was proposed by Prabhakara of the Mimamsa school. It was advocated by Vaiyakaranas also. The followers of this school do not accept that words convey a meaning except in the context of a sentence. The meaning of a sentence is made up of the individual word-meanings and their mutual relationship, both conveyed by the words themselves. This theory admits that words are real, have a definite meaning and are constituents of a language. However, according to them, the role of a word is limited to serving as a part of the sentence. Additionally every sentence means an action (kriyartha). Here in a sentence there is first a construction (anvaya) of the words with one another and then an expression (abhidhana) of the construed meaning of the whole sentence<ref name=":7" />.
This siddhanta stresses on the natural method of learning a language, where a child observes activities of elders or others to comprehend the meaning of words. Hence, kriya or verb is the central unit of a sentence. The words in a sentence possess a meaning pertinent to the action meant by the sentence. One person addressing another says "Bring the cow (gaam aanaya)"; the latter thus addressed immediately brings the cow. A child observing the former's statement and the latter's actions in response to the statement, infers that the meaning of the sentence is a command to carry out the act of bringing a cow. At this stage a child understands the sentence level signification only. Only when he hears another statement "Bring a horse (asvam aanaya)" and observes the latter bringing a horse does he infer the difference in the objects and on comparing the two sentences he understands the term "bring(aanaya)" is the command for the action "to bring" and the terms "cow (gaam) and horse (asvam)" must refer to the two different animals. The mental process of "anvaya or inclusion" and "vyatireka or exclusion" thus plays a role in bringing about the general idea about the meaning of individual words. This process is a natural phenomenon and is not a deliberate and conscious act such as to learn the meanings of words. Later by the process of substitution a child is able to understand meanings of new sentences by substituting the words that he has already come across.<ref name=":02" />
== References ==
== References ==