Sarkar, Kishori Lal: The Mimansa rules of interpretation as applied to Hindu law (Calcutta, 1909)

13© THE SECOND LECTURE- '
('
determined by ascertaining first the meaning of the
word Bar hi, as it is to Barhi that the address is directed.
The meaning of the word Barhi being ascertained it
will serve as the Linga to the mean’ng of the word dami,
and the force of the whole text.
9 O
The word Barhi has two meanings (i) Kusa grass
(2) Ulapa grass. If it mean Kusa grafes then the mean-
ing of the word dami will be ‘I cut’ and the meaning of
the whole sentence will be ‘I cut Kusa grass to mahe
a seat for the gods/’ If Barhi mean Ulapa grass the
sentence will have another meaning; Therefore the
fir'st question is to settle this point. The authorities
settle it that Barhi must be tahen to mean Kusa grass,
for that is iti primary meaning, the other meaning being-
only s scon dary.
You will see that Kumarila Bhatta lays down that
what is to be used as a Linga to throw light on the
ms-aning of another word or clause, must itself be a thing
either directly perceived or it must be a thing clearly
established by reason. So here in order to use the
word Barlii as a Linga it is properly taken in its primarv
sense and not in any secondary or figurative sense.
Thus the result is that the text means—' I -cut Kusa
grass to make a seat for the gods.’ Therefore cutting
Kusa grass is the duty imposed by the mantra.1 If
Barhi had meant Ulapa grass then probably dami
would not have meant ‘ I cut/
Laugakshi Bhashkara’s explanation of the Barhi
maxfm is perhaps not so clear as that of Apadeva from
l Mimansa Nyaya Prakasha, p. 19.
Jibananda's edition.