India as Known to Panini: A Study of the Cultural Material in the Ashtadhyayi c10.s2.10

c10.s2.10

*Sūtra* works had the peculiarity of being named after the number of their chapters (*adhyāyas*, V.1.58), e.g. Pāṇini's own work called *Ashṭaka* ('Eight Chapters'). The *Kāśikā* adds that the work of *Kāśakṛitsni* consisting of three *adhyāyas* was called *Trika* ('Three Chapters'), and of Vyāghrapād *Daśaka* ('Ten Chapters') (V.1.58). The students studying these texts were also designated as *Ashṭakāḥ*, *Trikāḥ* *Daśakāḥ* respectively (IV.2.65, *Sūtrāch-cha kopadhāt*). A similar principle of naming operated in the case of two Brāhmaṇa work of 30 and 40 chapters (V.1.62), which, as Keith suggests, were the *Kaushītakī* and the *Aitareya Brāhmaṇas* respectively (*Ṛigveda Brāhmaṇas*, Intro.). We know at least in the case of the *Śatapatha* that the *adhyāya* division was an important factor in the growth of its contents. The first nine books dealing with a complete exposition of the Haviryajña and Soma sacrifices (Books I-V also called *Ishṭi-Paśubandha*, cf. *Kāśikā* on *sūtra* II.1.6) contained sixty *adhyāyas* and were known as *Shashṭipatha* ('Sixty Chapters'). With the addition of the last five books (X-XIV) consisting of forty Chapters the name *Śatapatha* was finally applied to the work.