The Metaphysics of Sound: Analyzing Śabda-Brahman and Sphoṭa in Bhartṛhari’s Vākyapadīya
Dharmendra Das
International Journal of Advanced Research in Science, Communication and Technology July 30, 2026 DOI: 10.48175/ijarsct-37769 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Bhartṛhari's philosophy presents language as a metaphysical system where semantic understanding is tied to spiritual liberation, offering a distinctive model that contrasts with Saussure and Wittgenstein. |
Abstract
This article explores the linguistic monism of the fifth-century philosopher-grammarian Bhartṛhari, focusing on how his foundational text, the Vākyapadīya, elevates Sanskrit grammar (Vyākaraṇa) into a rigorous metaphysical system. Central to Bhartṛhari’s philosophy is the assertion that the ultimate reality is Śabda-Brahman (the Word-Absolute), which manifests into the material universe through four distinct cosmological strata of speech (Vāk): parā, paśyantī, madhyamā, and vaikharī. By examining this vertical descent from unmanifest consciousness to physical utterance, this paper contextualises his revolutionary theory of Sphoṭa the holistic, instantaneous flash of semantic comprehension that bypasses sequential phonetic accumulation. Moving beyond a purely historical analysis, this study offers a comparative critique, contrasting Bhartṛhari’s internalist semantics with Ferdinand de Saussure’s structuralist dualism and Ludwig Wittgenstein’s early picture theory of language. Ultimately, this paper argues that Bhartṛhari's framework does not merely anticipate modern cognitive linguistics, but offers a unique onto-epistemological model wherein semantic resolution is inherently tied to spiritual liberation (mokṣa), positioning language as the primary vehicle for metaphysical inquiry.