[Y-Indology] Paninian/Un-Paninian Sanskrit

[Guest guest]

On Thu, 6 Sep 2001, Harry Spier wrote:

 

> What does this grammarian of the classical period answer him?

 

I don't know. But *today's* Sanskrit grammarian might point him to an

article by my teacher, George Cardona:

 

"Some Thoughts on aarSaprayoga." In: Festschrift Shri Niwas Shastri, pp.

173-196. [Delhi, India: Parimal Publications, 1996]

Accession No: OCLC: 36330801

 

best,

Tim Cahill

[Guest guest]

Dear List Members,

 

******************************************************

> --- Harry Spier <harryspier wrote:

> To a well educated man of letters of the classical

> period knowledgable in Panini and his commentators

> is Paninian Sanskrit synonymous with "correct"

> Sanskrit and un-Paninian Sanskrit "incorrect"

> Sanskrit.

******************************************************

I am not a well educated man of letters. But I

have studied Panini a little bit and also the two

great epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. Hence I

take the liberty to express my opinion about the

matter presented by Mr Harry.

 

The term un-Paninian (which means 'against

Panini') is the English translation of the Sanskrit

term 'a-Paniniya'. But it is wrongly translated.

Actually it should be translated as non-Paninian which

can only mean 'not explicitly derivable from Panini

rules'. In my view, no term used by any shiSTa (i.e.

shiSTa-prayoga) is non-Paninian (or even that matter

un-Paninian) on the strength of the Panini rule

'vyatyayo bahulam'(3.1.85). Therefore,

"incorrect" Sanskrit terms will be those which have

not been used by any shiSTa or are not explicitly

derivable from Panini grammar. Who is 'shiSTa' has

been discussed in the Mahabhasya on P 6.3.109.

 

It is impossible for anybody to give rules for

the derivation of all the words in Sanskrit even of a

particular period. This point has come up in the

Mahabhasya (pp.5-6, Kielhorn Edition) also:

 

"BRhaspatir-indrAya divyaM varSa-sahasraM

pratipadoktAnAM shabdAnAM shabda-pArAyaNaM provAca

nAntaM jagAma | BRhaspatishca pravaktendrashcAdhyetA

divyaM varSa-sahasram-adhyayana-kAlo na cAntaM jagAma

|

......| tasmAd-anabhyupAyaH shabdAnAM pratipattau

prati- pada-pAThaH | kathaM tarHIme shabdAH

prati-pattavyAH|

.... yenAlpena yatnena mahato mahataH shabdaughAn

prati- padyeran |"

 

As far as practicable, Panini gave general rules

and limited exceptions. It was impossible for him to

mention all the exceptions, because this would have

led him to a situation similar to 'prati-pada-pAThaH'.

This is precisely the reason why he gave a

sUtra:'vyatyayo bahulam'. It is to be noted that this

sUtra is to be applied only in case of

"shiSTa-prayoga".

 

******************************************************

> For example this well educated man of letters of the

> classical period, knowledgable in the grammarians, a

> teacher of Sanskrit has a student and the student

> says to him something like:

 

> "Oh venerable sir yesterday I heard a recital from

> the Mahabharata and there were many words in it that

> do not agree with the rules of Panini that you have

> given me. Are these words in the Mahabharata

> incorrect? Why do these words differ from the rules

> of Panini?"

 

> What does this grammarian of the classical period

> answer him?

******************************************************

Whatever answer he may give, he cannot dare to

decalare VyAsa-muni, the author of the Mahabharata and

definitely a predecessor to Panini-muni, to be

a-shiSTa.

 

For those who do not believe in what has been

mentioned earlier, this is the type of answer that

grammarian will give:

 

"aSTAdasha-purANAni nava vyAkaraNAni ca |

nirmathya caturo vedAn muninA BhAratam kRtam ||

 

yAny-ujjahAra bhagvAn vyAso vyAkarNAmbudheH |

tAni kiM pada-ratnAni santi PANini-goSpade ||"

 

-- 'a-PANinIya pramANatA' by Naryana BhaTTa

 

 

 

------ Narayan Prasad

Pune, India

 

 

__________

 

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