Linguistic Absolutism in Bhartṛhari’s “Vākyapadīya”

Bhartṛhari’s ontological teaching is usually identified with the concept of linguistic Absolute (Śabda-Brahman) and with the three levels of speech. However, in his main opus the ‘Vākyapadīya’, each of these concepts is mentioned only on a single occasion and in a brief manner. It is not a rare case that in different contexts Bhartṛhari considers language a mental construction, or conceptualization (kalpanā or vikalpa). The latter concept was introduced under the influence of Buddhist philosophy. The Buddhists who criticized ontological concepts of Brahmanic schools were Bhartṛhari’s main opponents, so he could appeal to vikalpa in order to avoid their criticism. The ontological status of the Absolute speech in the ‘Vākyapadīya’ remains unclear. Bhartṛhari does not address this question explicitly, however, the discussions on Śabda-Brahman in early Brahmanic works, as well as Somānanda’s critique of the philosophy of the Grammarians expressed in the ‘Śivadṛṣṭi’ give evidence that he did not straight-forwardly identify Brahman ‘endowed with linguistic nature’ (śabdatattva) with the ultimate Absolute (Parabrahman). On the contrary, in his ontological system the Supreme Speech is considered an ‘intermediate’ form of the Absolute. This view derives from the teaching of the ‘two Brahmans’ in the Early Upaniṣads. For Bhartṛhari, the lower Brahman might be the basis of the phenomena, while the ultimate Brahman is transcendent to the phenomenal world. Word or sound (śabda) understood as the essence of the Vedas and a means of concentration of mind belongs to the ‘lower’ Brahman, whereas the ultimate Brahman is devoid of phonic or linguistic characteristics.

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