A GRAMMAR OF THE SANSKRIT LANGUAGE

The grammar of the Sanskrit language has a complex verbal system, rich nominal declension, and extensive use of compound nouns. It was studied and codified by Sanskrit grammarians from the later Vedic period (roughly 8th century BCE), culminating in the Pāṇinian grammar of the 6th century BCE. The last grammar of Sanskrit language is in the ‘Siddha-hemchandra-shabdaanushaasan’ of Aacharya Hemchandracharya. Sanskrit grammatical tradition began in late Vedic India and culminated in the Aṣṭādhyāyī of Pāṇini, which consists of 3990 sutras (ca. 5th century BCE). About a century after Pāṇini (around 400 BCE), Kātyāyana composed vārtikas (explanations) on the Pāṇinian sũtras. Patañjali, who lived three centuries after Pāṇini, wrote the Mahābhāṣya, the "Great Commentary" on the Aṣṭādhyāyī and Vārtikas. Because of these three ancient Sanskrit grammarians this grammar is called Trimuni Vyākarana. Jayaditya and Vāmana wrote a commentary named Kāśikā in 600 CE. It contains as much of the Sanskrit accidence as is necessary for the ordinary B.A. examination. Those who look higher, the author refers to the Siddhanta-Kaumudi and other indigenous works on grammar, without a careful study of which a scholar like knowledge of the Sanskrit language appears to him unattainable.