Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c9.46

c9.46

This passage is also construed to mean that Vedic Sanskrit has grown out of the spoken tongue of the times as its root. This point is discussed by Yāska [*Nirukta*, i, 16]. Yāska quotes the objection of Kautsa that the Vedas have no meaning (anarthakā hi mantrāḥ) and answers it by pointing out that the Vedas *have* meaning because their words are identical with those of the spoken language (*arthavantaḥ śabdasāmānyāt: samāna eva hi śabdo loke mantreshu cha*, "Identical are the words of both spoken tongue and the Vedas, e.g. the word *go* which occurs in both"). Words which have meaning in the *bhāshā* (spoken language) must have meaning when used in the Veda. Yāska [xi, 29] also cites Rigveda, viii, 100, 11, which refers to *Vāk* as articulate and understandable in man and inarticulate in the lower creatures" [Tāṁ vāchaṁ viśvarūpāḥ paśavo vadanti—vyaktavāchāścha (manushyādayaḥ) avyaktavāchāścha (gavādayaḥ) (Yāska and Durga's Comment)].