Visayah: Difference between revisions

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Visayah primarily means – 'the sphere of influence or activity', and also refers to – 'dominion', 'kingdom', 'territory', 'country', 'abode', 'lands' etc., but in Hindu philosophy, it has been used to indicate 'the subject matter', 'the sense-objects', 'the subject of interpretation', 'the area or range of words' or 'the field of experience'. According to Srimad Bhagavatam (XI.ix.29), viśayah or the objects of sense enjoyment are everywhere, as āhāra ('food'), nidrā ('sleep'), bhaya ('fear') and maithuna ('mating').^[1]

Viśayah (Sanskrit:विषयः) means – material contamination, possessing as objectives, on the subject matter, objects for sense enjoyments, subject matter, sense objects, the objects of sense gratification, objects of sense enjoyment.^[2] In the Bhagavad Gita, this word is used twice in its plural form विषया (Viśayā) while referring to - on the subject matter in Sloka II.45 – त्रैगुण्यविषया वेदा and to the objects for sense enjoyment in Sloka II.59 – विषया विनिवर्तन्ते.^[3] Viśayah primarily means – the sphere of influence or activity, and also refers to – dominion, kingdom, territory, country, abode, lands etc.^[4]

In his Tattva bodhah, Shankara has used viśayah to mean - 'the field of experience' – शोत्रस्य विषयः शब्द ग्रहणम् (of the ear/ the field of experience/ is receiving sound). ^[5] And, in Sloka 79 of his Vivekachudamani , he has used this word to denote virulent 'sense-objects' – दोषेण तीव्रो विषयः कृष्णसर्पविशादपि that a sense-object is more virulent than the poison of a king cobra. ^[6]

Viśayah also refers to the area or range of words, including their meanings.^[7] The Śabda-kalpa-druma gives viśayah as one of the many meanings of the Sanskrit word – artha (अर्थ); artha as viśayah is defined as that which floats in apprehension (bhāsate) or that which is manifested in apprehension. 'The object', 'the meaning of the word' and 'purpose' are the three philosophical relevants.^[8] In Sanskrit compositions there has always been an unmarked arrangement or word order; in the traditional word order the subject is followed by object with gerund and infinitives in between and the finite verb in the final position.^[9]

All six astika (orthodox) schools of Hindu Thought, which had developed simultaneously, accept the authority of the Vedas and have given us the dynamic interpretations of the classical texts. The interpretations are not arbitrary and the Mimamsikas speak about adhikarana or the procedure of interpretation that consists of five steps – the first step is viśayah or the subject of interpretation capable of having two or more meanings, the second step is samasyā or doubt regarding its meaning, the third step is pūrva-paksā or postulation of some probable meaning, the fourth step is uttaram or the refutation of the suggested meaning and the fifth step is nirnaya or establishment of true meaning.^[10]

Category:Vedas Category:Vedanta Category:Sanskrit words and phrases

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