Sphoṭa

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sphoṭa (literally "bursting, opening") is a Sanskrit term, as used by Sanskrit grammarians denoting the "internal and imperceptible element of sounds and words and the vehicle of the idea which bursts or flashes on the mind when a sound is uttered" (Monier-Williams). The concept was introduced by Bhartrihari in ca. the 6th century AD. The notion of "flash or insight" or "revelation" central to the concept has induced much learned debate in Indian philosophy of language.

Sphoṭa as used in Patanjali's Mahabhashya is simply spoken language (utterance, linguistic performance). Bhartrihari transforms this notion to refer to the meaning of an utterance that is not affected by variations in performance, taking the "bursting forth" to refer to the idea that by uttering of certain sounds is induced as a mental state in the listener in a flash of recognition or intuition (pratibhā "shining forth").

The concept is reminiscent of Platonic idealism in that the comprehension of meaning that becomes manifest as sphoṭa is latent in the hearer and only triggered by the speaker's utterance.

In opposition to the sphoṭa doctrine claim that sound and meaning form a permanent natural unit, Kumārila Bhaṭṭa and his followers believed that the meaning of a sentence arises indirectly, by combination of the significative power of its constituents. The Naiyāyikas did not consider the relation of a word and its meaning to be natural, but saw it as just a matter of convention or "significative power" (śakti), paralleling the Saussurian l'arbitraire du signe.

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[edit] References

  • Harold G. Coward , The Sphota Theory of Language, Motilal Banarsidass (1981, reprint 1997), ISBN 978-8120801813; review: David Carpenter, Journal of the American Academy of Religion (1982).
  • Gaurinath Sastri A Study in the Dialectics of Sphota, Motilal Banarsidass (1981).
  • Alessandro Graheli, Teoria dello Sphoṭa nel sesto Ahnikā della Nyāyamañjarī di Jayantabhaṭṭa (2003), University “La Sapienza” thesis, Rome (2003).
  • Clear, E. H., 'Hindu philosophy', in E. Craig (ed.), Routledge Encyclopedia of Philosophy, London: Routledge (1998) [1]
  • Saroja Bhate, Johannes Bronkhorst (eds.), Bhartṛhari - philosopher and grammarian : proceedings of the First International Conference on Bhartṛhari, University of Poona, January 6-8, 1992, Motilal Banarsidass Publishers, 1997, ISBN 81-208-1198-4

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