The Tattva-MuktavaliGaudapurnanandacakravarti, active 17th century
Religion
The Tattva-Muktavali
Gaudapurnanandacakravarti, active 17th century
Dvaita (Vedanta) -- Early works to 1800; Hindu philosophy -- Early works to 1800
18. If Brahman were meant by these words, the power employed
would not be Denotation, for their literal meaning does not apply;
[Footnote: In such sentences as "That art thou," "I am Brahman,"
etc., the primary power of the words, __i.e.__ " Denotation"
(__abhidhâ__), could not express the unconditioned Brahman
destitute of all attributes; for Denotation rests upon the ordinary
conventional meaning, and how could this take in an idea so far
removed from ordinary experience? Nor could it be the secondary
power "Indication" (__laksha.nâ__), as in the well- known instance
of "the herd-station on the Ganges," where the Ganges, by
"indication," means the shore and not the stream. For "indication"
must be based on some connexion between the primary and the
indicated secondary meaning; but how can that which is "without a
second" be connected with anything?] consequently it must be the
second power of a word, Indication.
19. Yet if so, why should it be Indication? for this arises from
some association with the primary meaning; but with what can that
substance be associated which is disconnected with everything and
without a second?
20. That power of a word is Indication, by which, when the primary
meaning is precluded, some other meaning is indicated in connexion
therewith, through some motive or through common currency; and its
causes are thus three [Footnote: I suppose that these are (1) the
incompatibility of the primary sense; (2) the common currency of the
secondary meaning, __e.g.__ when "Europe" is used to imply its
inhabitants in the phrase "Europe makes war:" (3) a motive, as in
"a herd-station on the Ganges," where "Ganges" is used instead of
"the bank of the Ganges," in order to imply the coolness and purity
of the spot].
21. Now if there is no Denotation in a phrase, how can there arise
any Indication? First there should be some primary meaning
precluded, and then there may be the Indication of something else.
22. Where there is no accepted Denotation, how can you there have
Indication? If there is no village, how can there be a boundary?--
there is no child without a father [Footnote: Cf. the Bengali proverb
__mâthâ nâi târ mâthâbyathâ__, "he has no head and yet he has a
headache."]
23. "The lances enter, the swords, the bows and arrows,"--here we
have Indication; for the sentence must suggest something else to
complete itself, as there cannot be "entrance" in the case of an
inanimate subject.
24. "A herd-station on the Ganges,"--here we have the self-sacrifice
of the primary to another meaning, since the Ganges, as being in the
form of water, cannot be the site of a herd-station.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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