Vyakarana Across The Ages (Proceedings of the 15the World Sanskrit Conference)

Sanskrit grammatical treatises, not only those of Panini and his successors but also work by Indian scholars representing other streams of grammatical thought, have long held the attention of modern scholars. The present volume contains a selection of the large number of papers presented in the Vyakarana Section of the 15th World Sankrit Conference held in New Delhi, during 15-20 January 2012.

The scope covered in these papers in wide. The first contribution deals with currents in European traditions of Sanskrit Grammars, from early words by missionaries to modern Sankrit Grammars. As could be expected, however, Panini is the centre of attention for mot authors, whose contributions nevertheless differ in focus. Several scholars deal with theoretical issues concerning the interpretation and application of Paniniam Sutras, including points of Sanskrit syntax. The question whether parties (nipata), and preverbs (upasarga) in particular, should be considered independently to signify particular meanings or instead be treated as terms which serve to instead be treated as terms which serve to cosignify meanings assigned to item with which they co-occur is the object of two studies.

One paper treats in detail the relation who can be considered to hold between terms and the meanings they signify, with particular emphasis on what Bhartrhai has to say on this topic. A historically oriented study deals with attacks on Paninian. View by Mimamsakes of Prabhakra Naiyayikas. One scholar contrasts ho particular nominal forms are derived in the Sarasvata system in contrast to the Paninian derivations of such forms. The final study in this collection brings us into the realm of modern Sanskrit literature, with a discussion of usage in the prose work Sivarajavijaya of Ambika Dutt Vyas.

George Cardona is Professor (Emeritus) of Linguistics at the University of Pannsylvania and has taught at other universities in the United States and in India. He is the author of several works concerning Sanskrit Grammar (Vyakarana), principally in the Paniniya tradition, as well as on the history of Indo-Aryan languages and on Gujarati.

The 15th world Sanskrit Conference (WSC) was organized by Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan, New Delhi, in association with International Association of Sanskrit Studies (IASS), during 5 January 10 January 2012. The Conference was conducted through twenty sections including Veda; Linguistics, Epics and Puranas, Tantra and Agamas, Vyakarana, Poetry, Drama and Aethetics, Sanskrit and Asian Languages and literature, Sanskrit and science, Buddhist studies, Philosophies, Religious studies Ritual Studies Epigraphy, Sanskrit in Technological World; Modern Sanskrit Literature; Law and Society; and Manuscript logy along with the Panditaparisad and Kavisamavaya. Apart from these sections, the event was marked with some special panels on the themes Models and Theories in Sanskrit Grammar and Linguistics; Electronic Concordance of the Great epics; re-interpreting Panini; Natayasastra in modern world; new perspectives on scientific literature in Sanskrit; boundaries of yoga in Indian philosophical literature; saiva philosophy; innovations in Sanskrit pedagogy; Sanskrit inscriptions in south-East Asian countries; manuscripts and their intellectual preservation; and Sanskrit in Global perspectives.

Right from its inception, Vyakarana has been one of the most versatile sections of this conference. I am happy to note that during the 15th WSC, the Vyakarana section remained vibrant for the vigorous exchange of ideas between traditional and modern scholars, and the deliberations covered a wide range of topics including lexical and grammatical positions, Pali Vyakarana as well as the non-Paninian system of Sanskrit grammar.

IASS has authorized Rashtriya Sanskrit Sansthan to bring out all the volumes of the proceedings of the 15th WSC. We are grateful to Prof. George Cardona of making a very judicious selection and for having edited the papers presented in the Vyakarana section of the conference.

The articles in this collection are those accepted for publication from the papers presented in the Vyakarana section of the XV world Sanskrit conference. These cover a wide range emphasis on vyakarana. In particular Panini’s work.

The collection opens with a paper providing a general background, in which Iwona Milewska surveys currents in European traditions of Sanskrit grammars. Beginnings with early works by missionaries, she proceeds to categorize and describe Sanskrit grammars composed with various aims: philological, comparative, and pedagogical.

The next group of contributions directly concerns Paninian grammar.

Peter M. Scharf deals with an important theoretical issue: should a formal grammar like Panini’s Astadhyayi countenance situations such that the proper application of certain rules to provide for particular forms requires looking forward instead of depending strictly on what is provided by rules for what is provided by rules for what is available at given stages of derivation.

Now, at each stage of deriving a form such as karoti an accentual adjustment is made: an accent that is newly introduced sets aside one which was there previously. The affix u brings its own high pitch and sets aside high pitch of the base. This accounts for karoti with low pitch on kar and high pitch on the suffix vowel. By the same principle the form would have high pitch on following the base, but the required form has high pitch on the ending. Accordingly, Paniniyas accept that the principle in question has an exception: a suffix such as u, which comes between a verbal base and an ending, does not set aside the previously present accent. They also invoke a Paninian sutra as making known that Panini too operated with the exception. Scharf differs from the tradition. He argues for interpreting sarvadhatuke in the pertinent rules as a locative of domain. Under this interpretation, an operation applies in the domain where a given affix will occur. Accordingly, scarf argues that in deriving Kurutah the post verbal affix u is introduced on condition that a sarvadhatuka will occur, before this is actually allowed to occur as a replacement for an affix. In this way, the general principle is maintained without exception.

Ajotikar and Kulkarni also with this principle, except that they extend the range of exceptions. They consider rules that may the fore’ paranc directed into the distance, afar and conclude that the accentuation of paracah requires recognizing exception to the Astisistasavara principle.