20-24 septembrie 2009 - Biblioteca Metropolitana Bucuresti

Śabdasaṃskāra, a mere grammatical technique? 501of the term pratibhā always next to the sequence suppression precededby the operation of word purification (śabdasaṃsakāra) represents alsoa noticeable hint at the fact that we might deal with not only a purelylinguistic process, but with a wider philosophical one.In order to set forth a conclusion of the question outlined in this paper,lead by textual hints offered mostly by Brahmakāṇḍa commentary, I wouldsay that grammatical tradition has brought down the centuries a way oftranscending sensible surface of word and its phenomenology.Thus, it will not be completely out of place to think that a purifyingverbal process (śabdasaṃskāra) which might have included or not aparticular yogic technique such as śabda-yoga or śabda-pūrva yoga couldhave taken the one who practices it beyond the phenomenological word tothe very essence of it (śabda-tattva).It might be also very likely that this yoga technique was known togrammarians of the 5 th century CE, although they did not master it orpreferred not to disclose it for certain reasons. It could also be that thistechnique was always known to the Tantric sects who transmitted it duringinitiatory practices and guarded so to preserve its esoteric power. They arevery few and scattered references to it, as shown above, but scanty enoughto recompose its full picture.Neither Vṛtti nor the verses of the Brahmakāṇḍa text offers anexhaustive description of how it can be done. It is very likely that thisprocess remained eventually confined to certain traditions that might havesevered from the main schools of grammarians who have gone on a moreintellectualistic approach.References:Al-George, Sergiu 1976. Limbă şi gândire în cultura indiană, Bucureşti:Editura Ştiinţifică şi Enciclopedică.Akuljkar, Ashok 1994. “An Introduction to the Study of Bhartṛhari”. In:Bhartṛhari Philosopher and Grammarian, Delhi, Motilal Banrasidass.