Perception According to Vyakarana Sastra

Summary

V. D. Hegde’s article explores how the Indian grammatical tradition (Vyākaraṇa) conceptualises perception (pratyakṣa) in the context of language. He begins by emphasising that language is a human activity involving both a producer (speaker) and a recipient (hearer). Unlike metaphysical schools that treat perception as a direct apprehension of objects, grammarians focus on the perception of linguistic sounds (śabda) and their meanings. Hegde compares the Vyākaraṇa view with those of the Nyāya and Mīmāṃsā schools, highlighting differences in the status accorded to verbal testimony. He explains that according to grammarians, perception involves not only the auditory recognition of phonemes but also the mental identification of morphemes and syntactic relations. The article discusses the role of intention (vivakṣā) in determining meaning and the importance of social convention (saṃketa) in enabling communication. Hegde further notes that Vyākaraṇa texts analyse errors in speech perception, such as homophones or misdivision, and propose methods for their resolution. By situating linguistic perception within a broader epistemological framework, the article underscores the sophistication of Indian grammatical thought.