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Linguistics

Notes such treatment. He wrote Virttikas, and his grammar is full of descriptive adequacy and is also
remarkable for its explanatory value.

3.13 Patanjali

In the words of Gray, ‘With Patanjali (2nd Century B.C.) Indian linguistic science reached its
definite form, for all later Indian treatises on the subject are little more than further commentaries
on his work. The system thus established is extremely detailed as to phonology (including accent)
and morphology; syntax it scarcely touches; etymologies are very frequent, in obvious words
usually with success, but in obscure words frequently almost ludicrous; and these etymological
attempts naturally lead to semantic explanations.’ It is believed that his work Mahabhasya should
have been written in 2nd Century B.C. His is a work written in defence of Panini, and it interprets
elaborately the sutras of Panini. He also attacks Katyayana rather severely. But the main contribution
of Patanjali lies in the treatment of the principles of grammar enunciated by him.
3.14 After Patanjali

After Patanjali the tradition of Sanskrit linguistics declines. No greater name than those of Panini,
Katyayana and Patanjali, who are ‘the trinity of Sanskrit grammar’, appear on the scene. After
them emerge the interpreters such as Jayaditya and Vaman (7th century A.D.). Bharthari’s
Vakyapadiya, however, is more important as it tries to interpret language from a philosophical
point of view. It is a comprehensive syntactical study. Jayaditya and Vaman are only the
commentators on Panini’s work. The work known as Vrittisutra and popularly called the Kasika is
the joint work of Jayaditya of Kashmir and Vaman. It is a running commentary on the Astadhyayi
in a lucid style with a great deal of examples. It also supplies the names of many other writers now
forgotten.
By this time Sanskrit had become a ‘classic’, practically a ‘dead’, language and had ceased to be
popular idiom. Furthermore, the Moslem invasions put an end to learning and promotion of
thought in India. And after that no significant work of great magnitude is available except that of
Hemchandra (A.D. 1088-1172).

Kaiyyata’s Pradipa on the Manabhasya marks the end of an epoch in the history of
Paniniya grammar.

Hemchandra was a holy Jain monk, and his grammar Sabdanusasana, with the object of saying, “in
the shortest possible manner not only all that his predecessors had said upon the subject, but
everything that could be said,” could not be very successful as it had a sectarian basis. Nevertheless,
his grammar deals exclusively with the Prakritas of his day and should be remembered as a work
of a great writer whose fame and religious sanctity was of high order.
Grammar during the Middle Ages in India was studied under various Sampradayas (schools) such
as Chandre-sampradaya, Jainendra-sampradaya, Shaktayan-sampradaysa, Hem-sampradaya,
Katantra-sampradaya, Sarswat-sampradaya, Vopdeva and his sampradaya, Kramdishwar and
Jaunar sampradaya, Saupadya sampradaya, and so on.
Self-Assessment
1. Choose the correct options:
(i) The golden period of Greek grammar is ............... .
(a) between 3rd century B.C. and 2nd century A.D.
(b) between 4th century B.C. and 3rd century A.D.
(c) between 1st and 2nd century B.C. (d) None of these

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