INDIRECT INFERENCE OF MEANING IN ATTHAKATHA AND TIKA COMMENTARIES

Abstract

This article, “Indirect Inference of Meaning in the Commentaries and Sub-commentaries,” aims to study the forms and principles of “Upacāra,” an indirect linguistic method that appears in the Buddhist Commentaries and Sub-commentaries. In particular, it examines the twelve types of Upacāra that ancient scholars devised to interpret passages in the Tipiṭaka which are obscure or expressed in indirect doctrinal language. Previous studies have addressed these types individually, focusing mainly on examples from the texts themselves, but have not yet classified them systematically or analyzed them through a linguistic framework. This study therefore proposes a new classification of the twelve types of Upacāra based on concepts from figurative language—namely metaphor, metonymy, and synecdoche—together with an inferential and logical framework, in order to explain the reasoning of the ancient commentators in a more systematic and universal way. The findings reveal that Upacāra can be grouped into three major categories: (1) Shift of reference—speaking of one thing but meaning another; (2) Part–whole relations—the relationship between the whole and its parts; and (3) Analogical or metaphorical usage—employing comparisons to convey meaning. This classification enables a deeper understanding of the interpretative logic of secondary Buddhist texts and can serve as a tool for translating, analyzing, and explaining the teachings more systematically. This research suggests that future studies on the interpretation of Buddhist texts should adopt contemporary linguistic frameworks to examine how ancient commentators used language systematically. Such an approach will help make the transmission of the Dhamma more comprehensible and accessible to contemporary audiences.