瑜伽論記 5.267

5.267

處所根栽施設建立者，如樹根栽樹之根本，故聲根本名曰根栽，則是字也，出聲處所名為處所，出聲所故本聲明也，謂劫初起，梵王創造一百萬頌聲明，後命惠減，帝釋復略為十萬頌，次有迦單設羅仙略為一萬二千頌，次有波膩尼仙略為八千頌，此上四論總名處所，今現行者唯有後二，前之二論並已滅沒，字體根栽聲明論有三百頌，波膩尼仙所造略成聲明略本頌，後有八界論有八百頌，名為因緣，又有聞釋迦論一千五百頌，又有溫那地論二千五百頌，此五聲明並名根栽，能與根本處所聲明為生智解所依本故。然護法菩薩造二萬五千頌名雜寶聲明論，西方以為聲明究竟之極論盛行於世也。

Regarding 'the designation and establishment of the locus (*sthāna*) and roots (*dhātu*)': just as the roots of a tree are the root foundation of the tree, so the root foundation of sound is called 'roots' (*dhātu*), which are none other than the syllables/letters. The locus where sound is produced is called 'locus' (*sthāna*); because it is the locus where sound issues forth, it is the fundamental grammar. At the beginning of the kalpa, Brahmā created a treatise on grammar in one million verses. Later, as human lifespan and wisdom decreased, Śakra abridged it to one hundred thousand verses. Next, the ṛṣi Kātantra abridged it to twelve thousand verses. Next, the ṛṣi Pāṇini abridged it to eight thousand verses. These four treatises are collectively called 'the loci' (*sthāna*). Currently in circulation are only the latter two; the former two treatises have already perished. The treatise on the root foundation of letter-substances in grammar has three hundred verses, the abridged root-verses of grammar composed by the ṛṣi Pāṇini. Later there was the *Aṣṭadhātu-śāstra* in eight hundred verses, called 'the causal conditions' (*nidāna*); there was also the *Viśāradīya(?)-śāstra* in one thousand five hundred verses, and the *Uṇādi-śāstra* in two thousand five hundred verses. These five grammatical treatises are all called 'roots' (*dhātu*), because they are able to serve as the root basis for generating knowledge and understanding of the fundamental locus-grammar. However, Bodhisattva Dharmapāla composed the *Kīrṇaratna-śabdavidyā-śāstra* in twenty-five thousand verses, which is regarded in the Western Regions as the ultimate treatise of grammar and is widely circulated in the world.