शब्द और अर्थ तथा उनका सम्बन्ध (Words, Meanings and Their Relationship)

Summary

“शब्द और अर्थ तथा उनका सम्बन्ध” is a philosophical exploration of the relationship between words and meanings. Drawing on classical Indian linguistic theories such as Mīmāṃsā and Vyākaraṇa, the author, Dhananjay Vajpeyee, discusses how words acquire meaning and how listeners comprehend utterances. The article examines the concepts of sphoṭa (the indivisible linguistic unit), dhvani (suggestion) and lakṣaṇā (secondary meaning) to show that understanding language involves more than decoding dictionary definitions. The author analyses examples from Sanskrit and Prakrit texts to illustrate how context, intention and convention shape meaning. He contrasts the views of grammarians who emphasise the eternal and autonomous nature of words with those of philosophers who stress pragmatic and semantic relations. The article also addresses semantic problems such as ambiguity, polysemy and homonymy, and considers how interpreters resolve these through inference and contextual clues. The author argues that the dynamic interplay between words and meanings mirrors the relationship between signifier and signified in semiotics. By engaging with both traditional scholarship and modern linguistics, the essay bridges ancient and contemporary perspectives. It highlights the importance of precise expression in spiritual discourse and underscores that misinterpretation of scriptural language can lead to doctrinal errors. Through careful textual analysis, the author demonstrates that studying semantics is essential for scholars of literature, philosophy and religion.