Bhartṛhari

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Bhartṛhari (Devanagari: भर्तृहरि; Bhartrhari; fl. c. 5th to 6th century CE), was an Indian grammarian (Vyākaraṇa) and philosopher of language. In his principal treatise, the Vākyapadīya, he systematized the philosophy of the Sanskrit grammatical tradition and formulated the metaphysics of Śabdādvaita (linguistic monism). His work is known for developing the theory of sphoṭa (the semantic unit of speech) and the concept of Śabda-Brahman, that identifies ultimate reality with the principle of language. Although traditional accounts identify him as the author of the poetic collection Śatakatraya, modern scholars generally treat the grammarian and the poet as distinct figures. Besides Vākyapadīya, he is also best known for his works, Mahābhāṣyatikā (a commentary on Patanjali's Mahabhashya), Vākyapadīyavṛtti (a commentary on Vākyapadīya kāṇḍas 1 and 2), and Śabdadhātusamīkṣā. Bhartrhari's linguistic theories influenced subsequent Indian philosophical traditions, notably Advaita Vedanta, Mīmāṃsā...

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