Bhartṛhari

Bhartṛhari (Devanagari: ; Bhartrihari; fl. c. 5th to 6th century CE ), was an Indian philosopher of language, linguist and poet, known for his contributions to the fields of linguistics, grammar, and philosophy. He is believed to have been born in the 5th century in Ujjain, Malwa, India. He decided to live a monastic life and find a higher meaning but was unable to detach from worldly life. He lived as a yogi in Ujjain until his death.

He is best known for his works, the Vākyapadīya (a treatise on sentences and words), Mahābhāṣyatikā (a commentary on Patanjali's Mahabhashya), Vākyapadīyavṛtti (a commentary on Vākyapadīya kāṇḍas 1 and 2), Śabdadhātusamīkṣā, and the 300-verse collection Śatakatraya.

Bhartrhari's philosophy is marked by the concept of "Shabda-Brahman", that the ultimate reality is expressed through words. He posited that language and cognition are linked and that by understanding grammar one can attain spiritual liberation.

Bhartrhari's works have been studied in various Indian philosophical traditions, including Vedanta and Mimamsa. Islamic and Western scholars(who?) have also shown interest through various translations and commentaries. In the field of Indian poetics, Bhartrhari's Śatakatraya continues to be revered and studied and has been translated into many languages, affording access to a global audience.

Life and background Bhartrhari is believed to have been born in Ujjain, Malwa, India and lived in the 5th century. Details of his personal life are not known, but it is assumed, and accepted by scholars, that he lived between 485 and 540 CE. He was associated with the court of Valabhi (modern Vala, Gujarat) but decided to follow the path of Indian sages and renounced a sensual life to find higher meaning. Bhartrhari's philosophical position is widely held to be an offshoot of the Vyākaraṇa or grammarian school, closely allied to the realism of the Nyayas and distinctly opposed to Buddhist positions such as those of Dignaga, who was closer to phenomenalism.

According to Aitihyamala (ഐതിഹ്യമാല), the celebrated collection of Kerala legends by Kottarathil Sankunni, first published in 1909, Bhartrhari is portrayed as one of four highly learned brothers who studied the Mahābhāṣya under their father, Govindaswamikal. After completing their studies, the brothers became eager to meet Patañjali, the author of the Mahābhāṣya, personally. However, when they went in search of him, they discovered that he had already passed away. The text preserves a Sanskrit verse attributed to Bhartrhari expressing his sorrow at having missed Patañjali. A separate chapter of Aitihyamala recounts the popular legendary tale of Bhartrhari's renunciation of worldly life. In the story, a magical fruit conferring immortality passes, unbeknownst to Bhartrhari, through a chain of unfaithful lovers. Eventually, he discovers his wife's infidelity, leading him to renounce worldly pleasures and embrace an ascetic life.

In the Vākyapadīya, Bhartṛhari writes regarding svasamvedana, arguing that a cognition cannot be the content of another cognition. In verse 3.1.106 he explains why a cognition cannot be objectified using an example of light: "as a source of light is never illuminated by another one, likewise a cognition is never cognised by another one." He also writes that a cognition is always perceived at the same time of the cognition of its content. This explanation avoids infinite regress caused if a second order cognition was needed for the first cognition. As a poet, he also wrote the Śatakatraya, or Śataka, a three-part collection of 300 verses. The Śatakatraya has been translated into many languages, affording access to a global audience. According to Mangat Bhardwaj, a modern linguist who has a similar approach to Bhartrhari's is Daniel Everett (2013).