Paninian and Katantra Systems of Grammar- A Comparative Study (An Old and Rare Book)

The main aim and objective of grammar is to bring refinement or perfection to the language spoken in the contemporary society. It regularises or systematises the language introducing certain rules and regulations which lead to the formation of correct words. Panini's Astadhyayi is one of the most standard grammatical treatises everproduced in the languages of the world in general and in the Indo-European dialects in particular. This has been held with high appreciation both by native and foreign scholars. But the origins of Katantra Vyakarana seem to have come out of a felt desire for a more popular and casier grammar than Panini's formidable System provides. In keeping with the motivations to brevity and simplicity, the Katantra sutras return to the older method of ordering the syllables (as found in Pratisakhyas), arrange dicussions of things more naturally (similarly to arrangement later adopted within the Paninian tradition by Bhattoji Diksita in his Siddhanta kaumudi), and omit many of the most dificult rules prescribed by Panini. The result is a work of about fourteen hundred sutras only, in contrast to Panini's four thousand. The present work is an humble attempt to present a Comparative Study of both Paninian and Katantra Systems of Grammar.

The author in a deep sense of humility accords the help of both mental and meterial received from various sources, personalities and Institutes for carrying on this study.

I am extremely indebted to Prof. Alekh Chandra Sarangi, my teacher, and now supervisor of my thesis, more accurately the friend, philosopher and guide in true sense of terms whose able, learned and proportionate guidance, non-theless his inspiring instructions have been instrumental for the author to complete this work. My profound obligations are also due to him for his guidance and blessings in writing the Foreword' of this book. Now as a token of my gratitude, I dedicate this work on his Lotus teet. I am also indebted to my revered teacher Dr. R.M.Dash, Reader, P.G. Deptt. of Sanskrit, Utkal University, for his inspiring words and guidance in intial stage of my research career.

Since Vedic age scientific analysis of language has preoccupied the Indian mind. The genesis of linguistic analysis can be traced in the Vedic works like Brahmanas, Upanisads, Siksa, Pratisakhyas, Nirukta and Padapatha literature. Grammatical studies have come down to us through different Schools including the famous School of Panini. Panini himself has referred to the names of his ten predecessors who are Apisali, Kasyapa, Gargya, Galava, Cakravarmana, Bharadvaja, Sakatayana, Sakalya, Senaka and Sphotayana. However all these grammarians have been eclipsed by the great Panini whose Astadhyayi still remains unsurpassed due to its comprehensiveness, perfection and scientific exactitude. Further, the chain of grammatical studies has continued and a number of non-Paninian Schools of Grammar flourished during 1st century AD and 14th Century AD and among all of them Katantra System of Grammar is the initial attempt where we find a lucid and clear exposition of a gradual development of Paninian System.

Besides the Introduction and Conclusion, the present study is divided into four chapters. The first chapter is entitled as "Sarvavarman and his Grammar" Hence the significance of the endeavour is in details describes along with the historicity of the author of the Katantra grammar. The second chapter is a tabular analysis where both the Systems of grammar are campared. The third chapter is named as "Observations on the Scheme and the Treatment of the Two Grammars" where many principal observations are studied with a comparative approach. In the fourth chapter named as "Technical Terms and Techniques", the author has noted many such techniques employed by Sarvavarman in his grammar.

Analysis of language has been one of the intellectual activities pursued by the ancient seers of India. The genesis of this analysis can be traced back to a very remote age of the Vedas. Though not systematic, some vague speculations of grammatical nature were prevalent in those days and it can be said that the System of grammar was in its crude form. Some Vedic verses' having the nature of etymological explanation of some words, testify to this fact. Though the main interest of Brahmannas and Upanisads was sacerdotal and philosophical respectively, yet some attention was focused upon the grammatical peculiaritics of the form of language to preserve the sacred scriptures in tact from generation to generation. Next in the chronological order we come across the Pratisakhyas in which we find some germs and intimation of a keen grammatical study. For the first time we meet here with an exhaustive classification of the parts of speech into nama, akhyata, upasarga and nipata. Sakalya, the credited author of Padapatha, took a further step by showing a clear distinction between the stem and the termination; the verb and preposition and between two constituents of compounds etc. Nirukta of Yaska, the first available systematic work on etymology, can be deemed as a furtherance in grammatical speculations. The list of Schools and individual teachers of grammar referred to by Yaska also prove the sufficient advancement made in this field. Apart from these grammatical references, we find the name of sixteen grammarians who are not quoted by Panini (P) in his Astadhyayi (Ast), but referred to in some other ancient treatises and whose status of being exponents of separate grammatical Shcools is beyond doubt. To name a few of them, they are - Siva, Brhaspati, Indra, Vayu, Bharadvaja, Bhaguri, Pauskarasadi, Carayana, Kasakrsna, Santanu, Vaiyagharpadya, Madhyandini, Raudhi, Saunaki, Gautama and Vyadi.

**Contents and Sample Pages**