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Arthaviveka (Samkrit : अर्थविवेकः) deals with the importance of certain factors in the determining the exact meaning of an expression. In Brhddevata, it is said that by rule the meaning, of both the Vedic mantra and an ordinary sentence, is to be determined from the considerations of six factors such as purpose, an indication from another place (lingam), the context, propriety, the place and time. Described as Contextual Factors by Kunjunni Raja in his 'Indian Theories of Meaning', he discusses many factors involved in the determination of the exact meaning of a word in an ambiguous expression.<ref name=":02">Raja, Kunjunni  K. (1977 Reprint) ''Indian Theories of Meaning.'' Madras: The Adyar Library and Research Centre. (Pages 44 - 59)</ref>

Arthaviveka (Samkrit : अर्थविवेकः) deals with the importance of certain factors in the determining the exact meaning of an expression. In Brhddevata, it is said that by rule the meaning, of both the Vedic mantra and an ordinary sentence, is to be determined from the considerations of six factors such as purpose, an indication from another place (lingam), the context, propriety, the place and time. Described as Contextual Factors by Kunjunni Raja in his 'Indian Theories of Meaning', he discusses many factors involved in the determination of the exact meaning of a word in an ambiguous expression.<ref name=":02">Raja, Kunjunni  K. (1977 Reprint) ''Indian Theories of Meaning.'' Madras: The Adyar Library and Research Centre. (Pages 44 - 59)</ref>

These factors are elaborated by Bhartrhari along with the addition of a few more factors involved in the determination of meaning.  

These factors are elaborated by Bhartrhari along with the addition of a few more factors involved in the determination of meaning.  

== Mimamsa ==

== मीमांसा॥ Mimamsa ==

Of the terms mentioned in Brhddevata, prakarana, linga, and artha are known to Mimamsakas also. The process of subordinating the details of a yajna is done by the six means of proof as given below:<blockquote>श्रुति-लिङ्ग-वाक्य-प्रकरण-स्थान-समाख्यानां समवाये पारदौर्बल्यम् अर्थविप्रकर्षात् । ३,३.१४ (Mimasa. 3.3.14)<ref>Mimamsa ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%BF Full Text])</ref></blockquote><blockquote>śrutiliñgavākyaprakaraṇasthāna-samākyānām samavāye pāradaurbalyam arthaviprakarṣāt। </blockquote>Summary: Text (śruti) - it is direct assertion, a complete sentence. Implication (liṅga) - if the meaning of a word or a sentence is not apparently clear, the implication from another word is accepted. Syntactical Connection (vākya), Context (prakaraṇa) - the context of the situation, Place (sthāṇa) - Place or position and Etymological meaning (Samkhya) are the six means of proofs mentioned. Of these each preceding one is stronger that each succeeding one.<ref name=":02" />

Of the terms mentioned in Brhddevata, prakarana, linga, and artha are known to Mimamsakas also. The process of subordinating the details of a yajna is done by the six means of proof as given below:<blockquote>श्रुति-लिङ्ग-वाक्य-प्रकरण-स्थान-समाख्यानां समवाये पारदौर्बल्यम् अर्थविप्रकर्षात् । ३,३.१४ (Mimasa. 3.3.14)<ref>Mimamsa ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AE%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%82%E0%A4%B8%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%B8%E0%A5%82%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B0%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%A3%E0%A4%BF Full Text])</ref></blockquote><blockquote>śrutiliñgavākyaprakaraṇasthāna-samākyānām samavāye pāradaurbalyam arthaviprakarṣāt। </blockquote>Summary: Text (śruti) - it is direct assertion, a complete sentence. Implication (liṅga) - if the meaning of a word or a sentence is not apparently clear, the implication from another word is accepted. Syntactical Connection (vākya), Context (prakaraṇa) - the context of the situation, Place (sthāṇa) - Place or position and Etymological meaning (Samkhya) are the six means of proofs mentioned. Of these each preceding one is stronger that each succeeding one.<ref name=":02" />

Bhrtrhari gives another list of such factors that determine the exact meaning of a word in the case of ambiguous and equivocal expressions. This list is taken up for detailed discussion by later vaiyakaranas like Nagesa and alamkarikas like Mammata, Visvanatha, Hemachandra, Appaya Dikshita and Jagannatha.<ref name=":02" />

Bhrtrhari gives another list of such factors that determine the exact meaning of a word in the case of ambiguous and equivocal expressions. This list is taken up for detailed discussion by later vaiyakaranas like Nagesa and alamkarikas like Mammata, Visvanatha, Hemachandra, Appaya Dikshita and Jagannatha.<ref name=":02" />

== Vākyapadīyam ==

== वाक्यपदीयम् ॥ Vākyapadīyam ==

Bhartrhari defines in vākyakāṇḍa of Vākyapadīyam the deciding factors of a meaning in the following way<ref name=":0">Subramanya Sharma. V. M. (2012) Ph.D Thesis: ''[http://hdl.handle.net/10603/105711 The Notion of Word in Vakyapadiyam.]'' Hyderabad : University of Hyderabad. (Chapter 6)</ref><ref name=":02" /><blockquote>वाक्यात्प्रकरणादर्थादौचित्याद्देशकालतः  ।  शब्दार्थाः प्रविभज्यन्ते न रूपादेव केवलात् । । २.३१४  । ।</blockquote><blockquote>vākyātprakaraṇādarthādaucityāddeśakālataḥ | śabdārthāḥ pravibhajyante na rūpādeva kevalāt|| (vākyakāṇḍa - 314)</blockquote><blockquote>संसर्गो विप्रयोगश्च साहचर्यं विरोधिता  ।  अर्थः प्रकरणं लिङ्गं शब्दस्यान्यस्य संनिधिः  । । २.३१५  । ।</blockquote><blockquote>samsargo viprayogaśca sāhacaryam virodhitā | arthaḥ prakaraṇam liṅgam śabdasyānyasya sannidhiḥ|| (vākyakāṇḍa - 315)</blockquote><blockquote>सामर्थ्यं औचिती देशः कालो व्यक्तिः स्वरादयः  ।  शब्दार्थस्यानवच्छेदे विशेषस्मृतिहेतवः  । । २.३१६  । ।</blockquote><blockquote>sāmarthyamaucitī deśaḥ kālo vyaktiḥ svarādayaḥ| śabdārthasyānavacchede viśeṣasmṛtihetavaḥ|| (vākyakāṇḍa - 316) (Vaky. 2.314 - 316)<ref>Vakyapadiyam ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%83 Vakyakanda])</ref></blockquote>

Bhartrhari defines in vākyakāṇḍa of Vākyapadīyam the deciding factors of a meaning in the following way<ref name=":0">Subramanya Sharma. V. M. (2012) Ph.D Thesis: ''[http://hdl.handle.net/10603/105711 The Notion of Word in Vakyapadiyam.]'' Hyderabad : University of Hyderabad. (Chapter 6)</ref><ref name=":02" /><blockquote>वाक्यात्प्रकरणादर्थादौचित्याद्देशकालतः  ।  शब्दार्थाः प्रविभज्यन्ते न रूपादेव केवलात् । । २.३१४  । ।</blockquote><blockquote>vākyātprakaraṇādarthādaucityāddeśakālataḥ | śabdārthāḥ pravibhajyante na rūpādeva kevalāt|| (vākyakāṇḍa - 314)</blockquote><blockquote>संसर्गो विप्रयोगश्च साहचर्यं विरोधिता  ।  अर्थः प्रकरणं लिङ्गं शब्दस्यान्यस्य संनिधिः  । । २.३१५  । ।</blockquote><blockquote>samsargo viprayogaśca sāhacaryam virodhitā | arthaḥ prakaraṇam liṅgam śabdasyānyasya sannidhiḥ|| (vākyakāṇḍa - 315)</blockquote><blockquote>सामर्थ्यं औचिती देशः कालो व्यक्तिः स्वरादयः  ।  शब्दार्थस्यानवच्छेदे विशेषस्मृतिहेतवः  । । २.३१६  । ।</blockquote><blockquote>sāmarthyamaucitī deśaḥ kālo vyaktiḥ svarādayaḥ| śabdārthasyānavacchede viśeṣasmṛtihetavaḥ|| (vākyakāṇḍa - 316) (Vaky. 2.314 - 316)<ref>Vakyapadiyam ([https://sa.wikisource.org/wiki/%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BE%E0%A4%95%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AA%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%AE%E0%A5%8D/%E0%A4%A6%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%B5%E0%A4%BF%E0%A4%A4%E0%A5%80%E0%A4%AF%E0%A4%83_%E0%A4%96%E0%A4%A3%E0%A5%8D%E0%A4%A1%E0%A4%83 Vakyakanda])</ref></blockquote>

In the Mahabhashya (6.1.84), Patanjali stresses on the importance of Artha and Prakarana in deciding the meaning of words as below:<blockquote>अर्थात् प्रकरणाद्वा लोके द्वयोरेकस्याभिनिर्वृत्तिर्भवति । (Maha. Bhas. 6.1.84)</blockquote>Modern linguists also stress on the importance of the context of the situation in deciding the meaning of words of a sentence.  

In the Mahabhashya (6.1.84), Patanjali stresses on the importance of Artha and Prakarana in deciding the meaning of words as below:<blockquote>अर्थात् प्रकरणाद्वा लोके द्वयोरेकस्याभिनिर्वृत्तिर्भवति । (Maha. Bhas. 6.1.84)</blockquote>Modern linguists also stress on the importance of the context of the situation in deciding the meaning of words of a sentence.  

=== लिङ्गम् ॥ Liṅgam (Sign) ===

=== लिङ्गम् ॥ Liṅgam ===

<blockquote>‘कुपितो मकरध्वजः ॥ kupito makaradhvajaḥ’</blockquote>It means a specific phenomenon that will be there with a person or thing. Makaradhvajaḥ means Manmatha or Samudra. ‘kupito makaradhvajaḥ’ (makaradhvaja is angry) is a sentence wherein Makaradhvaja means Manmatha rather than Samudra as ‘being angry’ is possible only with Manmatha. ‘ocean is angry’- is a figurative usage.

Linga is 'indication' from another place, such as an attribute, in the same sentence, to restrict the meaning of the word.  <blockquote>‘कुपितो मकरध्वजः ॥ kupito makaradhvajaḥ’</blockquote>Makaradhvajaḥ means Manmatha or Samudra. ‘kupito makaradhvajaḥ’ (makaradhvaja is angry) is a sentence wherein Makaradhvaja means Manmatha rather than Samudra. Being angry is applicable to Manmatha. ‘ocean is angry’- is a figurative usage. In this case the association need not be a well-known one as in the case of samyoga, the attribute used being only for rejecting the other meaning (as per Pradipa commentary).

 

 

Kara means hand or tusk. Nāga means serpent or elephant or a person belonging to the clan of nāgas. ‘kareṇa rājate nāgaḥ’ (the nāga is shining with kara)- is a sentence wherein kara, due to the proximity of the word nāga, means tusk and nāga, due to the proximity of the word ‘kara’, means elephant.

 

 

Madhu means honey, the month of caitra and liquor. In the sentence ‘madhunā mattaḥ kokilaḥ’ (the cuckoo is excited due to macho) the word macho means ‘the month of caitra’ (spring) as the cuckoo gets excited during caitra.

 

‘पातु वो दयितामुखम् ॥ pātu vo dayitāmukham’ (may the dayitāmukham protect you).

Here ‘dayitāmukham’ means ‘the face of love’ (lady). But since the same can’t do the needful, the word has to be taken in the sense of ‘the positive behaviour of the love’, following propriety.

It means the vicinity of another word. It is the use of a word having a meaning logically connected with only one of the possible meanings of the ambiguous word. Jagannatha in his Rasagangadhara gives the following example,<blockquote>‘करेण राजते नागः॥ kareṇa rājate nāgaḥ’</blockquote>Both words Kara and naaga are ambiguous and each word restricts the meaning of the other by its proximity. Kara means hand or tusk. Nāga means serpent or elephant or a person belonging to the clan of nāgas. ‘kareṇa rājate nāgaḥ’ (the nāga is shining with kara) - is a sentence wherein kara, due to the proximity of the word nāga, means tusk and nāga, due to the proximity of the word ‘kara’, means elephant.

=== देशः ॥ Deśaḥ (Place) ===

=== सामर्थ्यम्॥ Sāmarthyam ===

‘वैकुण्ठे हरिः वसति ॥ vaikuṇṭhe hariḥ vasati’

It is the capacity that is known from the result. In the example,<blockquote>‘मधुनामत्तकोकिलाः ॥ madhunā mattaḥ kokilaḥ’</blockquote>Madhu means honey, the month of caitra and honey. In the sentence ‘madhunā mattaḥ kokilaḥ’, the cuckoo is intoxicated by madhu, the word madhu means ‘the month of chaitra’ (spring season) and not honey, as only the former has the power to intoxicate the cuckoo.

In the sentence- ‘vaikuṇṭhe hariḥ vasati’ (hari lives in vaikuṇṭha), the word ‘Hari’ means Viṣṇu, as vaikuṇṭham is the abode of the latter.

Auchiti is propriety or congruity. In the example,<blockquote>‘पातु वो दयितामुखम् ॥ pātu vo dayitāmukham’ (may the dayitāmukham protect you).</blockquote>Here ‘dayitāmukham’ means ‘the face of love’ (lady) but the term mukha means 'favour' (sammukhya) and not 'face', since only the former meaning will be proper in the context. The word has to be taken in the sense of ‘the positive behaviour of the love’, following propriety.

=== कालो ॥ Kālaḥ (Time) ===

=== देशः ॥ Deśaḥ ===

In the sentence ‘divā citrabhānuḥ vibhāti’ (citrabhānu is shining during daytime), the word citrabhānu means ‘sun’, whereas in the sentence ‘rātrau citrabhānuḥ vibhāti’ (citrabhānu is shining during night) the same means ‘moon’.

Kala refers to time. <blockquote>‘दिवाचित्रभानुः विभाति॥ divā citrabhānuḥ vibhāti’</blockquote>In the sentence ‘divā citrabhānuḥ vibhāti’ (citrabhānu is shining during daytime), the word citrabhānu means ‘sun’, whereas in the sentence ‘rātrau citrabhānuḥ vibhāti’ (citrabhānu is shining during night) the same means ‘light of fire (moon)’.

=== व्यक्तिः ॥ Vyaktiḥ (Gender) ===

=== व्यक्तिः ॥ Vyaktiḥ ===

The word ‘मित्रम् । mitram’ is in neuter gender and it means ‘friend’. ‘मित्रः । mitraḥ’ is in masculine gender and it means ‘sun’. नभस् । Nabhas (neuter) means ‘sky’ whereas ‘नभः । nabhaḥ’(masculine) means the month of śrāvaṇa.

The word ‘मित्रम् । mitram’ is in neuter gender and it means ‘friend’. ‘मित्रः । mitraḥ’ is in masculine gender and it means ‘sun’. नभस् । Nabhas (neuter) means ‘sky’ whereas ‘नभः । nabhaḥ’(masculine) means the month of śrāvaṇa.

=== स्वरादयः ॥ Svaraḥ (Accent) ===

=== स्वरादयः ॥ Svaraḥ ===

In Vedic literature, the svara (udātta, anudātta, svarita etc.) causes change of meaning. ṛtrāsura was a demon, who threw a missile targeted at indra. Due to wrong pronunciation of the mantra, i.e. svāhendraśatrurvardhasva, in terms of svara (ādyudātta instead of antodātta), the weapon fired back killing the demon.

In Vedic literature, the svara (udātta, anudātta, svarita etc.) causes change of meaning in the mantra. [[Vrtrasura (वृत्रासुरः)|Vṛtrāsura]] was meant to be the "killer of Indra". Due to wrong pronunciation of the mantra, i.e. svāhendraśatrurvardhasva, in terms of svara (ādyudātta instead of antodātta), he became "one whose killer is Indra". The Shatapatha Brahmana, refers to the story of Vrtra who lost his life, because of the wrong use of accent in the chanting of the mantras.  

== References ==

== References ==

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[[Category:Shastras]]

[[Category:Shastras]]