The term dhvani (sound) is derived from the root 'dhvan' to make sound. Dhvani is an older term going back to Atharva Veda, where it was used in the sense of sound, tune, noise etc.
In the Veda and UpaniSad, there are many mythical and magical speculations regarding speech and sound. The BraahmaNa texts have also given some focus on analyzing the words into their elements in the context of meaning . The problem regarding the relation between sound and meaning is fully discussed by the ancient Indian thinkers. Thinkers like AudumbaraayaNa and VaarttaakSa were the pioneers in this field. Even Yaaska, in his NirUkta, records the view of AudumbaraayaNa regarding the eternal character of the sound.
PaaNini's grammar does not talk anything about eternality or non-eternality of dhvani because it is not related to the philosophical problem of language.
An important feature of sound is its fixed capacity to express a particular phoneme. For instance, a particular sound, produced by its particular articulated efforts, reveals a particular phoneme .
Dhvani is a divisible entity. It is produced and grasped in a particular sequence and generally by mistake the same qualities of sound are superimposed on sphoTa .
The sound-wave emanating from its origin is compared to a light-wave starting from the original flame. Once the first flame has been produced by the fire-producing machinery, the light-wave continues to spread in all direction, even after the fire-producing machinery has stopped
To sum up, dhvani (meaning sound) is the term of an earlier origin. Though, thoughts about its nature are already met with in the works of scholars like AudumbaraayaNa and others, its role in the ordinary verbal usage, and its relation with the abstract level of sphoTa, was defined only at the time of PataNjali. Bhartrhari has thrown more light on this entire issue by expounding the ideas already met with in MahaabhaaSya and by providing an original theory about the two-fold nature of the sound as primary and secondary. He has also elucidated the relation between sphota and dhvani by explaining it from the standpoint of the speaker as well the listener. Another merit of his work is that, he has also provided viewpoints of other scholars on the same issue.
Bhartrhari's theories about the praakrta and vaikrta dhvani and the explanation of the dhvani-sphoTa relationship are very significant as they provide the solution to some of the linguistic problems.
PaaNini's grammar does not talk anything about eternality or non-eternality of dhvani because it is not related to the philosophical problem of language.
An important feature of sound is its fixed capacity to express a particular phoneme. For instance, a particular sound, produced by its particular articulated efforts, reveals a particular phoneme .
Dhvani is a divisible entity. It is produced and grasped in a particular sequence and generally by mistake the same qualities of sound are superimposed on sphoTa .
The sound-wave emanating from its origin is compared to a light-wave starting from the original flame. Once the first flame has been produced by the fire-producing machinery, the light-wave continues to spread in all direction, even after the fire-producing machinery has stopped
To sum up, dhvani (meaning sound) is the term of an earlier origin. Though, thoughts about its nature are already met with in the works of scholars like AudumbaraayaNa and others, its role in the ordinary verbal usage, and its relation with the abstract level of sphoTa, was defined only at the time of PataNjali. Bhartrhari has thrown more light on this entire issue by expounding the ideas already met with in MahaabhaaSya and by providing an original theory about the two-fold nature of the sound as primary and secondary. He has also elucidated the relation between sphota and dhvani by explaining it from the standpoint of the speaker as well the listener. Another merit of his work is that, he has also provided viewpoints of other scholars on the same issue.
Bhartrhari's theories about the praakrta and vaikrta dhvani and the explanation of the dhvani-sphoTa relationship are very significant as they provide the solution to some of the linguistic problems.
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