India as Known to Panini: A Study of the Cultural Material in the Ashtadhyayi c6.65

c6.65

We may take it that Pāṇini’s mission to the celebrated capital of the Magadhan empire was not very different from that of Chāṇakya, *viz.* a desire to have his work valued by the most competent judges gathered at the court of Pāṭaliputra. *THE GREAT SYNOD* (*Sabhā*)—It is interesting to note that this academic institution continued even in the time of the Mauryan emperors of Pāṭaliputra, as indicated by Megasthenes and other Greek writers. In the words of Megasthenes the Brāhmaṇas "are employed publicly by kings at what is called the Great Synod where at the beginning of the new year, all the philosophers are gathered together, and any philosopher *who may have committed any useful suggestion to writing*, or observed any means of improving the crops and cattle, or for promoting the public interests, declare it publicly." (*Strabo*, XV.1., McCrindle, *Megasthenes*, Frag. XXXIII). Diodorus also refers to these distinguished gatherings at the beginning of each new year in which the learned men participated and the sovereign of the land acted as patron (McCrindle, *Megasthenes*, Frag. I, p. 39). These statements corroborate the Sanskrit and Pāli accounts of the congregation at Pāṭaliputra, and Rājaśekhara's *Śāstrakāra-parīkshā* very nearly corresponds to the functions of the Great Synod described by Megasthenes. The time of its meeting is recorded as the beginning of each new year. Very probably the technical term for this Synod and the Board responsible for the *Śāstrakāra-parīkshā* was *Sabhā*, as in the expressions *Chandragupta-sabhā* and *Pushyamitra-sabhā* used by Patañjali (I.77; see also *var. lect.* at p. 515)¹ and also *Rāja-sabhā* by Pāṇini in *sūtra* II, 4.23 (*sabhā rājamanushya-pūrvā*).