History of Dharmashastra (Ancient and Mediaeval Religious and Civil Law in India) v7.c93.186

v7.c93.186

2. The connection between word and sense is eternal.¹⁹⁵⁵ This is explained by the words of Śabara (in n. 1953) that there is no person who could be put forward as having brought about the connection of word and sense. Vide P. M. S I 1. 6-23, Śabara's bhāṣya thereon, the elaborate treatment in 444 verses in Ślokavārtika (pp 728-815) and Prakaraṇa-pañcikā pp. 133-140 (seventh Prakaraṇa). On the question "what does a word like 'Gauḥ' denote," the P. M S. replies that a word denotes 'ākṛti' (or jāti) i. e. the universal, the class. Briefly, the Mīmāṁsakas hold that the word, the denotation and the relation of these two are eternal. Vide P. M S. I. 3 30-35.