Bharthri's sphoṭa theory

 Here is a summary of Bharthri's sphoṭa theory in 500 words, point wise, with proper headings:

- Introduction: Bharthri was a 5th century CE Hindu linguistic philosopher who wrote the Vākyapadīya, a foundational text on Sanskrit grammar and linguistic philosophy. He is also known for his poetic work Śatakatraya, which consists of three collections of 100 verses each.

- Sphoṭa theory: Bharthri's main contribution to linguistic philosophy is his theory of sphoṭa, which means "bursting forth" or "manifestation". According to this theory, the meaning of a word or a sentence is not derived from the combination of individual sounds or letters, but from an indivisible and eternal unit of cognition that is revealed by speech.

- Types of sphoṭa: Bharthri distinguishes between three types of sphoṭa: varṇasphoṭa, padasphoṭa and vākyasphoṭa. Varṇasphoṭa is the sphoṭa of a phoneme or a letter, which is the smallest unit of speech. Padasphoṭa is the sphoṭa of a word, which is composed of one or more varṇasphoṭas. Vākyasphoṭa is the sphoṭa of a sentence, which is composed of one or more padasphoṭas.

- Relation between sphoṭa and speech: Bharthri argues that speech is only an external manifestation of sphoṭa, which is internal and mental. Speech is subject to change and variation due to factors such as accent, dialect, tone, etc., but sphoṭa remains constant and invariant. Speech is also sequential and temporal, while sphoṭa is simultaneous and eternal. Speech is only a means to convey sphoṭa, which is the real carrier of meaning.

- Implications of sphoṭa theory: Bharthri's sphoṭa theory has several implications for linguistic analysis and communication. It implies that language is not arbitrary or conventional, but natural and innate. It also implies that language is not merely descriptive or referential, but creative and expressive. It also implies that language is not independent or isolated, but connected and holistic.