Bhartrihari c. 450 AD – c. 510 AD
Bhartrihari was an Indian Sanskrit grammarian and philosopher of language whose Vakyapadiya is one of the founding texts of Indian linguistic philosophy. Building on the grammatical tradition of Panini, he developed the doctrine of Sphota, the indivisible meaning-bearing unit of speech, and argued that all cognition is permeated by language. His monistic metaphysics identifies the ultimate Brahman with the Word, an idea that influenced both subsequent Indian and modern Western philosophy of language. He also composed three celebrated centuries of verse on policy, love, and renunciation.
Key facts
- Nationality
- Indian
- Era
- Ancient
- Movements
- Indian Philosophy
Selected quotes
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Attributed to Bhartrihari:
“All cognition is permeated by language.”
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Attributed to Bhartrihari:
“There is no thought that is not interwoven with words.”
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Attributed to Bhartrihari:
“The ultimate Brahman is the Word, eternal and without beginning.”
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Attributed to Bhartrihari:
“The word is the seed from which all reality unfolds.”
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Attributed to Bhartrihari:
“Speech is the meeting place of thought and being.”