© DrSurabhi Verma

National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, Odisha

Course ID: HS 1317

INTRODUCTION TO THE METAPHYSICS OF

SANSKRIT LANGUAGE

Course Co-ordinator: Prof. Surabhi Verma

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• Unit 1: Nature of Language

❖ What is Language?

❖ Difference between Bhāṣā, Vāk and Vāṇī

❖ Spoken and Compositional language

❖ The Knowledge disciplines related with discourse of Language

❖ Effect of orality on the Nature of Language

COURSE ❖ The Language of the Universe: Nāda (Resonance)
OUTLINE • Unit 2: Introduction to the components of Sanskrit Language

❖ Physical aspects

1. Sounds (Dhvani)

2. Syllables (akṣara/varṇa)

3. Śabda (word)

4. Pada (morphological unit)

5. Ukti (utterances)

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❖ Metaphysical aspects

1. Language and Reality (Sattā)

2. Mantrātmaka and prapañcātmaka

3. Language as an ontological category

4. Discourse of language as Cognitive System

5. Intrinsic property of Language

COURSE 6. Verb centred Language: Sanskrit

OUTLINE
7. Special features of Sanskrit language

▪ Metrical (chāndas)

▪ Figurative (alaṃkāra yukta)

▪ Compound (samāsa) and assimilation (sandhiḥ) based

▪ Coded (inflectional- pratyayānta)

▪ Abbreviated (sutra baddha)

▪ Generative (derivational)

▪ Usage based (loka pramāṇa)

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• Unit 3: The Discourse of śabda and artha

❖ Signifier (vācaka), signified (vācya) and the meaning (vācyārtha)
❖ The relationship of śabda and artha and the question of nitya (indestructible)
❖ Vāk and its four levels of manifestation
❖ The three types of meaning (artha)
❖ The two possibilities of getting meaning of utterances

COURSE
❖ The requirements for constructing meaning of utterances
• Unit 4: The Science of Mantra
OUTLINE ❖ Mantra: meaning and dimensions
❖ The Accents in Vaidika mantra
❖ The Purpose of Mantra
❖ Relation between mantra and spanda
❖ Autonomous spontaneous mantra (ajāpajāpa)

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• Study of Language as an Ontological System

1. The Energy and Consciousness in Kashmir Śaiva Darśana

2. Introduction to the Kashmir Śaiva Darśana – Background and Literature

3. The Ontology (Tattva-mīmāṁsā) of Kashmir Śaiva Darśana

4. The Epistemology (Pramāṇa-mīmāṁsā) of Kashmir Śaiva Darśana

5. The Metaphysics (Śṛṣṭi Prakriyā) in Kashmir Śaiva Darśana

COURSE 6. The Manifestation Process - Subjective and Objective Manifestation

OUTLINE 7. The encapsulation and limitation of energy

8. The Cognitive Process

9. The Cognitive Triad

10.The Concept of Time and Space

11.Manifestation of sound energy as potencies in relation to ontological categories

12.The Transposition Effect during Genesis of Vāk

13.The rectification (purification) in reversal

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UNIT -4
© DrSurabhi Verma
1. Cognitive Process
 As per Kashmir Śaiva Darśana, in the entire cognitive process,
the energy descends down undergoing limitation and becomes
known as Citta.
 The Concept of Antaḥ karaṇa catuṣṭaya describes four
constituents of cognitive apparatus i.e. Citta (energy undergone
limitation), Buddhi, Manas and Ahaṃkāra.
 These four play major role in the Cognitive Cycle in Kashmir
Śaiva Darśana along with senses, actions and corresponding
organs.
 It is important to remember that here Citta is not the intellect
(buddhi) but it is Citi (energy) undergone limitation.
 Here Citta (energy undergone limitation) rushes through
passages and provides knowledge as per the level of limitation.
 This knowledge is always partial and relative. So Pramiti in this
system is limited knowledge and when it becomes non limited it
is characterized as realised state i.e. it becomes Empirical
knowledge which can’t be created or arrived at through the
available means of cognition which are themselves limited.
 Thus in this system Pramiti and Smṛti are just the indicators for Figure 4.11
the realization and recognition.
© Dr. Surabhi Verma 11/15/2020 7
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THANK YOU.
© DrSurabhi Verma