KS20201 Theories of Language Comprehension India and Beyond Module5

Theories of Language Comprehension:
India and Beyond
Dr Jayashree Aanand Gajjam
Centre of Excellence for Indian Knowledge System,

IIT Kharagpur
Elective Course
Autumn, 2022-2023
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Jayashree (KS20201) Lanugage Comprehension Elective, Autumn 2022-2023 1 / 21
Table of Contents
1 Śābdabodha
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
Table of Contents
1 Śābdabodha
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
On Sābdabodha
On ‘Śābdabodha’
How does a linguistic utterance generate knowledge?
What are the requirements?
What are the pre-requisites?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
On Sābdabodha
“padajñānaṃ tu karaṇaṃ dvāraṃ tatra padārthadhīḥ |

śābdabodhaḥ phalaṃ tatra śaktidhīḥ sahakāriṇī” ||
Nyaya-siddhanta-muktavali of Visvanatha (Verse 81)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
On Sābdabodha
Three Factors in the Process of Śābdabodha:

1 Pada-jñānam- ‘Knowledge of words’
Through sense organs
(Sense-Object-Contact = ‘indriyārtha-sannikarṣa’)
Ex: Unlike a silent man writing a poem, etc.
2 Padārtha-dhīḥ- ‘Knowledge of word-meanings’
Meaning should be cognized by words only &
Remembrance of word-meanings
(‘pada-janya-padārtha-smaraṇam’)
Ex: Unlike in the cases of cognition via perception of an object, etc.
3 śakti-dhīḥ- ‘Knowledge of the relation between word and its meaning’
Both primary and secondary meaning are considered.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
On Sābdabodha
Three-Step Causal Model:

Three Factors in the Process of Śābdabodha:
1 Pada-jñānam- ‘Knowledge of words’
2 Padārtha-dhīḥ- ‘Knowledge of word-meanings’
3 śakti-dhīḥ- ‘Knowledge of the relation between word and its meaning’
They are said to be:

1 Karaṇam - ‘Special cause’1 , ‘Instrumental/ The most eﬀicient cause’
2 Dvāram - ‘An operational cause’2 , ‘Functional Cause’
3 Sahakāriṇī - ‘An auxiliary’ cause3 or ‘A supportive Cause’
1
[Röer1850, p. 44]
2
[Abhyankar1928, p. 374]
3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
[Vattanky1995, p. 5] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
On Sābdabodha:
Pada-jñānam
Padārtha-dhīḥ
śakti-dhīḥ
Speech Production: Ideas –> Sounds

(Conceptualization- Formulation- Articulation)
Speech Comprehension: Sounds –> Ideas
(Recognition- Lexical Access- Integration)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
On Sābdabodha
‘Sabdabodha and The Problem of Knowledge-Representation in Sanskrit’, by Bimal Krishna

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Matilal, 1988 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
On Sābdabodha
Causal Model:
Ex:
Instrument →Operation/ Function →Auxiliaries →Result
Pen →physical contact with the paper →knowledge of orthography etc.
→Writing
Axe →physical contact with the wood →stable platform etc. →Cutting
Word recognition →remembrance of word meanings →Knowing relation
between words and their meanings →Verbal cognition
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
On Sābdabodha
Why Pada-jñāna is said as Karaṇam :

No ‘Knowledge of words’ –> No cognition.
● Incorrect phonological representations/ pronunciations (speech by
children, speech by elderly people, poor printing, missed letters...)
Ex: ‘tomato bath’, ‘baiyya’, ‘Arghya’, ‘aab-o-daana’
● External disturbances. Ex: noise, too much or too little light, too low
or too fast speech...
● Vaiśeṣika Sūtra- failure in knowledge (reasons: too small or too big
substance, too far or too near perception, malfunctioning of sense
organs...)
● Lack of attention (Mind-wandering) Words are heard, but not
registered.
Thus, ‘knowledge of words’ = the most eﬀicient cause!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
On Sābdabodha
Why Padārtha-dhīḥ is said as dvāram :

No ‘Knowledge/remembrance of word meanings’ –> No cognition.
● Words are heard, but no knowledge of their meanings:
(1) Known language, unknown words.
Ex. rendezvous, sesquipedalianism (a very long word), mehfooz
(‘safe’), ‘moseeqi’ (music), ‘rashq-e-qamar’ (envy of the moon)...
(2) Unknown language
Ex. Arbeitslosigkeitsversicherung (‘unemployment insurance’),
internet, online, Einstein...
(3) Unknown orthography (Ex: Russian, Japanese...)
● Words are heard, but no remembrance of their meanings:
Ex: Due to issues in memory/ retrieval
Thus, ‘knowledge of word meanings’ = the operational cause!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
On Sābdabodha
Why Śakti-dhīḥ is said as sahakāriṇī :

No ‘knowledge of the relation between W and WM’ –> No cognition.
● Words are known... concepts (meanings) are known... but, no
knowledge of their inter-relation...
Ex: felicitate vs. facilitate, effect vs. affect, advice vs. advise
Indophile... etc.
Thus, ‘knowledge of the relation between words and their meanings’ = the
auxiliary cause!
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
On Sābdabodha
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
On Sābdabodha
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
On Sābdabodha: Critical Analysis
Points to consider:
● Are they sequential?
Do we understand words first and their meanings later, or
do we understand words because we already know their meanings?
Ex: Known and unknown languages
● Are they hierarchical?
● Are they mutually dependent?
● Can we overstep any level?
In some cases, there is lack of ‘knowledge of words’, but still
cognition happens.
Ex: During learning foreign language/s or in children’s speech
(‘Auf Wiedersehen!’= See you!) (Children learning rhymes)
● Is it all-pervading? Universal? Pan-human? Pan-cultural?
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
Some Miscellaneous Concerns
Sometimes, all three levels available, but no desired verbal cognition!

Are three levels enough?
(i) Suggestive meaning (Tomorrow is another day!)
(ii) Speaker’s intention or tātparya (I would’ve done it in July.)
(iii) Idioms (Break a leg!)
(iv) Metaphors (Books are the mirrors of the soul.)
(v) Frozen/ dead metaphors (Hands of a clock...)
(vi) Metonyms (bluestocking, silver fox)
(vii) Sarcasm (I love it when my son rolls his eyes at me.)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
The Process of Sābdabodha: (1/2)
Complete Model of Verbal Cognition:

1 Knowledge of words (Padajñāna)
2 Knowledge of word-meanings (Padārthadhīḥ)
3 Knowledge of the relation between word and its meaning (Śaktidhīḥ)
4 Knowledge of different types of word meanings: primary, implied, and
suggestive (Abhidhā, Lakṣaṇā, Vyañjanā)
5 Knowledge of speaker’s intention (Tātparya)
6 Auxiliary Factors: Syntactic expectancy, semantic compatibility, and
physical proximity (Ākāṅkṣā, Yogyatā, Sannidhi/ Āsatti)
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
On Sābdabodha: (2/2)
7 Knowledge of word’s ontological categories (Padārtha- categorisation)

8 Knowledge of verb’s selectional restrictions (Kāraka-yogyatā)
9 Knowledge of grammatical rules (‘Linguistic Competence’ or Acquired
Knowledge)
10 Attention, Perception, Cognitive processing, Active working memory
(Pre-requisites)
11 Inferencing, Co-referencing, Integration, Summarization, etc.
(Processes)
12 Other logical, psychological, socio-cultural factors...
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
Key Takeawyas:
1 Explain the process of sabdabodha, with examples. Critique on it.

OR Describe the Three-Step Model/ Causal Model of sabdabodha.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
Reading Material:
1 Bimal Krishna Matilal’s ‘Sabdabodha and The Problem of

Knowledge-Representation in Sanskrit’
2 John Vattanky’s Book
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Śābdabodha
Vasudeva Shastri Abhyankar.

1928.
Nyāyakośa or Dictionary of Technical Terms of Indian Philosophy by
Mahamahopadhyaya Bhimacarya Jhalakikar.
The Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Poona.
Edward Röer.
1850.
Division of the categories of the nyāya philosophy.
Asiatic Society of Bengal.
John S. J. Vattanky.
1995.
Nyāya Philosophy of Language.
Sri Satguru Publications, Indological and Oriental Publishers, Delhi.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

KS20201 Theories of Language Comprehension India and Beyond Module5

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

KS20201 Theories of Language Comprehension India and Beyond Module5

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Theories of Language Comprehension:

India and Beyond

Dr Jayashree Aanand Gajjam

Centre of Excellence for Indian Knowledge System,

“padajñānaṃ tu karaṇaṃ dvāraṃ tatra padārthadhīḥ |

Nyaya-siddhanta-muktavali of Visvanatha (Verse 81)

Three Factors in the Process of Śābdabodha:

Three-Step Causal Model:

They are said to be:

Speech Production: Ideas –> Sounds

‘Sabdabodha and The Problem of Knowledge-Representation in Sanskrit’, by Bimal Krishna

Why Pada-jñāna is said as Karaṇam :

Why Padārtha-dhīḥ is said as dvāram :

Why Śakti-dhīḥ is said as sahakāriṇī :

On Sābdabodha: Critical Analysis

Some Miscellaneous Concerns

Sometimes, all three levels available, but no desired verbal cognition!

The Process of Sābdabodha: (1/2)

Complete Model of Verbal Cognition:

7 Knowledge of word’s ontological categories (Padārtha- categorisation)

1 Explain the process of sabdabodha, with examples. Critique on it.

1 Bimal Krishna Matilal’s ‘Sabdabodha and The Problem of

Vasudeva Shastri Abhyankar.

You might also like