A set of exceptionally well-preserved copper plates discovered near the ancient port of Bharuch has provided new insights into the Mimamsa school of philosophy. The plates, inscribed with a text known as 'Sabda-Sthiti', detail advanced linguistic theories concerning the eternality of sound and the inherent relationship between a word and its object.
The text argues that meaning is not a human convention but a fundamental property of the universe itself. This find is significant as it documents the spread of strict Mimamsa orthodoxy to the western coast of India and reveals how these linguistic philosophies were used to justify the authority of Vedic texts in a rapidly changing social landscape.