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Book Review
SANSKRIT
Rules of Panini
S. REVATHY
PANINIYA VYAKARANAM — Pragatam Saralam Ca: V. Rangan 59, Shivaji Nagar, Nagpur-440010.
Rs. 135.
THE ASHTADHYAYI of Panini, which is the perfect and the most systematic description of Sanskrit spoken during the lifetime of its author, provided the key to the development of a vast literature of descriptive linguistics, with all its sophistication and high levels of originality. It serves as an ingenious device to reproduce the language of the standard speakers in a step-to-step rule governed method. In fact, it is like an algorithm, a problem solving procedure. The problem each time is the derivation of a word ready for use in a sentence. Hence traditionally the Ashtadhyayi is termed “sabdanusasana”: instruction in the derivation of correct Sanskrit words. It prescribes rules to be applied and therefore, called prescriptive grammar, but it is also descriptive in the sense that in the process of derivation, the word form is fully described. Thus with the help of number of rules it is able to produce an infinite number of words, and also infinite number of sentences.
The present work consisting of 16 prakaranas explains the important rules of Panini. To understand these rules one has to know the technical terms used therein.
The author, therefore has begun the work with the explanation of sutras and then proceeded to explain the other chapters on case-endings and compounds.
Although not following the order of the Ashtadhyayi, the rules have been explained along with illustrations in a tabulated form to facilitate easy understanding for all learners of Sanskrit.
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