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Work #1800 · Early

Vakyapadiya (On Words and Sentences)

Bhartrhari
c. 5th century · Sanskrit
Philosophical treatise (verse with prose commentary) · Vyakarana (Sanskrit grammatical philosophy)

Language is Brahman — the sphota as eternal meaning-bearer, the sentence as primary unit, and grammar as the path to liberation

Attribute Fingerprint

Rows where works disagree are highlighted in gold. The full ontology grid is shown.

Attribute Vakyapadiya (On Words and Sentences) (Early)
Time · Extent Infinite
Time · Ontological Status Relational
Time · Grain Continuous
Time · Freedom Both
Time · Traversability Cyclical
Time · Dimensionality One
Time · Direction Uni-directional
Space · Extent Infinite
Space · Ontological Status Relational
Space · Curvature not engaged
Space · Dimensionality Three
Space · Locality Non-Local
Matter · Extent Infinite
Matter · Ontological Status Emergent
Matter · Conservation Conserved
Matter · Dimensionality Three
Matter · Locality Non-Local
Observer · Time Instance Single
Observer · Space Instance Single
Observer · Knowledge Extent Immediate
Observer · Knowledge Retainment Total
Observer · Physicality Embodied
Observer · Agency Active
Observer · Number Plural
Observer · Metaphysical Agency Cosmic-ordering
Observer · Moral Authority Scripture
Observer · Theological Method
Energy · Extent Infinite
Energy · Ontological Status Relational
Energy · Conservation Conserved
Energy · Dispersibility Reversible
Information · Ontological Status Substantival
Information · Cosmic Conservation Conserved
Information · Personal Conservation Conserved
Information · Granularity Continuous

Dimension-by-Dimension Evidence

What each work's passages reveal about its stance on each of the six dimensions.

Time

Vakyapadiya (On Words and Sentences)

Infinite: Shabda Brahman is beginningless and endless; cyclical cosmic manifestation.

Space

Vakyapadiya (On Words and Sentences)

Infinite, relational, non-local: the sphota is a universal manifested everywhere.

Matter

Vakyapadiya (On Words and Sentences)

Infinite, emergent: the material world is a manifestation (vivarta) of Shabda Brahman.

Observer

Vakyapadiya (On Words and Sentences)

Embodied consciousness permeated by language; immediate intuition (pratibha) of meaning.

Energy

Vakyapadiya (On Words and Sentences)

Infinite linguistic-creative power (shakti); conserved and reversible cyclically.

Information

Vakyapadiya (On Words and Sentences)

Substantival: language (Shabda Brahman) is the ultimate informational ground of reality.

Internal Tensions

Where each work's argument pulls against itself.

Vakyapadiya (On Words and Sentences)

Tension between the eternal, indivisible sphota and the temporal, sequential nature of speech; Mimamsa critique that the sphota is an unnecessary postulation.