The Sa?bandha-Samuddesa (Chapter on Relation) and Bhart?hari's Philosophy of Language

In the history of the Indian grammatical tradition, Bhartṛhari (about fifth century C.E.) is the fourth great grammarian — after Pāṇini, Kātyāyana and Patañjali — and the first to make the philosophical aspects of language and grammar the main subject of an independent work. This work, the Vākyapadīya (VP), consists of about 2000 philosophical couplets or kārikās.
Since the latter half of the nineteenth century, the VP has been known to Western Sanskritists, but its language—philosophical co...